Just Dance
by Diane Clifford
Summary: Toys as humans fiction. A story of the events that occur when Jessie starts college and moves in with Woody & Buzz. **COMPLETE!** Please read and review!
1. Ultra Important

_A few notes as ever about the fic :)_

_This is an idea I have had swimming around in my brain ever since the The Amber Mystery started to near completion. It was originally intended to be written as the follow up, with Blaine and Rochelle taking centre stage in it...but after a comment made on Sleeping Spaceman by dmwcool, I have had a rethink, and decided to make it into another 'real life' fiction instead. _

_At present, I'm not intending this to be too long on the chapters side...it doesnt have the gumption to be anything over 10 chapters atm! And also, as yet, untitled. I know my plot, but just waiting for the title to present itself when I'm writing._

_That aside, enjoy!_

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**Chapter One – Ultra Important**

The first thing that he knew about the situation, was when he was sprawling face first on the floor of the hallway of the house he shared with his best friend. He hauled himself up to a kneeling position, rubbing his temple where he'd smacked his head on the way down.

"What the-?" The unfinished question left the young man's mouth as he gazed about the hallway. It was littered with various boxes and bags, none of which he recognised as his own – thank goodness, he wasn't being kicked out for being overdue on the rent again – and nothing resembled anything his house mate would own.

"Woody?" He called. Woody was his aforementioned best friend, and the name he called was due to a painful memory and incident that had happened one evening at a club with a young woman his friend had tried to seduce. The blonde in question, however, had been less than amused at the 'uprisings' and had excused herself promptly from the scenario. It had been due to the general hilarity of Woody's friends that had caused the name to be produced and attached.

Not that his own nickname was anything better. Buzz, so called because in fresher's week of college, he had been the unfortunate victim of an electric razor to his eyebrows while he slept, had not been happy to have been christened something else than his own real name.

From above, someone started to descend the stairs. But instead of Woody appearing, a young girl made her way into sight. Buzz blinked at her. Did Woody do something over the spring break that he wasn't aware of? Like a sex change operation?

For this girl he was looking at in confusion could easily have been his double. She had long, red hair, tied back in a ponytail, under a red peaked cap, and she was wearing skin tight jeans and a white sweater. She spotted Buzz sitting on the floor next to the largest of four boxes, and threw him a wide grin.

"Well, howdy there," she said brightly, and Buzz realised that even Woody, much as he was often the butt of jokes, couldn't hold that high a falsetto.

"Uh, hi." He said lamely, starting to pull himself up. "Sorry, I must be 'shrooming. You are?"

"Jessie."

"Ah." There was nothing else he wanted to say. Who was this girl? He watched her as she bent over a box, rummaging inside it before pulling out a bundle of textbooks and heading back up the stairs. As she disappeared from sight, she crossed paths with the original person Buzz had called down, Woody himself.

"Did I hear my name," Woody drawled, as he neared the bottom of the staircase. At nearly six foot tall, he tended to dwarf his smaller companion. The boots he always wore never seemed to help the fact, either...in fact it tended to add an inch to his frame, which others referred to simply as 'gawky'. And forget fashion – Woody was an individual. He'd developed a love for waistcoats over the years, usually preppily worn over a long sleeved shirt, and with jeans. And this was his exact attire today – waistcoat, shirt, jeans.

"Yeah, you heard right." Buzz looked at his friend. "Who the heck was that?"

"Who?" Woody looked confused.

"That redhead who seems to have taken over our hallway," Buzz said, gesturing around at the jumble surrounding them.

"Oh, her. That's Jessie."

Buzz rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know she's _Jessie. _What I meant is, what is she doing here?"

"She's moving in with us."

"Since when?" Buzz glared at Woody. "I seem specifically telling you ever since Hamm moved out, that if you wanted to get a replacement to help out with the rent, to run it past me!"

Woody sighed. "Buzz, I told you Jessie was moving in."

"When?"

"Oh, let's see. When she came round that afternoon after Hamm left, when I was studying and you were out training – then when she viewed the place and told me she loved it – then when I took a phone call from her before spring break – then when I told you she'd finalised her plans to move up here – and then last night when you called from home and asked me how things were."

Buzz looked away, trying to visualize all these instances, as Woody moved on, "Anyway, I can't kick her out now. She's half unpacked and ready to start the academic year late."

"I guess not," Buzz sighed. Then a thought hit him. "Woody?"

"Yeah?" His friend was starting to pick up some clothes strewn messily on the floor and dumping them back into an open box.

"How did Jessie get our address, and telephone number?"

"Er, Buzz, Jessie's my sister, remember?"

Buzz was gobsmacked. "_That's_ Jessie?"

"Yeah." Woody was looking at him strangely.

"The last time I saw your sister she was running around your old house in the garden telling your Mom how boys have cooties and that mud was tasty."

Woody laughed, "Yeah, she's grown up a bit since then, Buzz."

"I'll say." Buzz glanced up again as Jessie reappeared, flying down the stairs. She took no notice of the two of them standing there, instead she dipped into another box at the foot of the stairs and rummaged madly in it. She pulled out some papers and flipped through them, as Woody cleared his throat.

"Hey Jessie, you remember Buzz, right?"

"Yeah...sure..." Jessie looked up briefly, then back at the papers. She was about to keep flipping through the sheaf in front of her when she stopped short and looked back up. "Oh my gosh, Buzz?" She laughed, "Woody's old friend from high school, right? The one who got his eyebrows shaved off when you started college?"

"Er. Yeah." Buzz said awkwardly. "I can't believe Woody told you that."

Jessie shrieked at maximum volume and dived on Buzz to hug him; the papers she'd been holding scattering to the floor. "I can't believe I didn't realise it was you earlier! Oh my gosh! How have you been?" She exclaimed, holding him out at arm's length for a moment.

"Er...fine, thanks," Buzz said, momentarily shocked at her excitement.

"So what have you been up to? Do you and Bo still meet up?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah...occasionally," Buzz said, as Jessie leaned down to rifle through another box and coming up with another sheaf of papers, of various colours this time.

"Great. How're things between you two?"

"Oh, you know, same as ever," Buzz said, and Woody rolled his eyes.

"Admit it Buzz. Ever since you two started getting more serious about what's going on, I hardly see you!"

"Well, things are important right now, Woody. I gotta prioritise!" Buzz stated firmly, just as Jessie shrieked and dropped the papers again; fortunately into the box this time.

"Here it is! My acceptance letter for the course! I need to file this under 'U', for ULTRA IMPORTANT! They'll wanna see it tomorrow!" She hollered, waving it in the air and darting back up the stairs.

Buzz groaned. However nice it was to see Jessie, this term was going to be less than peaceful.


	2. Announcement

**Chapter Two - Announcement**

"Go on Woody! Please!" Jessie wheedled, clasping her hands together in mock prayer.

"I said no, Jess," Woody replied, rolling his eyes.

It was three months later, and Easter break had come and gone for the college students. Despite it being a seemingly good idea to have his sister under the same roof as him, so he could keep an eye on her 24/7, Woody was now starting to regret his decision. Although you couldn't ask for a better sister, she was incredibly loud in the house, to the point where even Buzz had started to complain. She was messy, too, usually leaving a trail of sweet wrappers like breadcrumbs wherever she walked, and usually if a piece of clothing could be randomly found – whether in the fridge, the sink, or just merely draped over the sofa – you could bet it would be hers.

And on today's menu, she was being needy into the bargain. She was begging Woody to drive her home, even though the local bus route was only just outside the college and took ten minutes to travel. Failing that, it was only twenty minutes walk, and for someone in Jessie's peak physical condition, that shouldn't have been a bother.

"Come on Woody, I don't ask you for much! I'm not even a bother!" Jessie continued to plead, as she walked along besides her brother on the way outside.

"No, Jess, I told you, I need to go pick up the groceries," Woody said firmly, ever the responsible older sibling.

"So I'll come too, and then you can give me a ride home as well," Jessie countered, by way of a compromise, as Woody's mobile phone shrilled in his pocket. He threw her an irritated glance as he fished the phone out, glancing at the caller display. His sister really did know how to drive a bargain, he frowned, seeing the familiar name flashing on his phone screen.

He held up a finger to silence Jessie, and pressed the answer call button on the phone, raising it to his ear. "Hi Buzz."

There was a pause while Buzz gabbled on about something, and Woody's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

The answer was obviously positive. "I don't believe it. Congratulations! How's Bo taking it?"

Another pause. "She's shocked too? I'm not surprised. It is a huge achievement." Woody went on, noticing Jessie's look of confusion. He went back to his conversation.

"What, now?" He glanced at Jessie. "I guess so. Where?"

There was yet another pause while Buzz gabbled on the other end of the phone, and Woody nodded, more to himself as he took in the details.

"Sure, we'll be there in ten minutes." He hung up, and turned to Jessie. "Well, little missie, looks like you get that lift after all. C'mon, Buzz is at the other side of campus." He started to walk off quickly, as Jessie followed him, a little curious as to what on earth was going on.

* * *

They arrived at the other side of campus ten minutes later, and Woody parked up outside a large red brick built block. Both Jessie and himself got out of the car, and Jessie glanced up at the building. Woody locked the car, and again, she trailed after him as he wandered inside.

"Woody," she asked, her voice echoing slightly as they walked down the empty, brightly lit corridors, "You haven't even told me what Buzz said."

"Oh, don't worry, Jessie. You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure it'll be just as much of a shock to you as it was to me." Woody said, but this only served to confuse Jessie further.

At the end of the corridor, Woody opened a door marked only with 'A113', and let Jessie in ahead of him, stepping in behind her.

They were in a small room, with a mirror along one wall, and the room was empty except for a couple of chairs and a small table on the far wall, and the couple sitting there staring at each other, talking animatedly. Jessie immediately saw it was Buzz, and the other must be Bo, who Woody had often mentioned in passing.

Buzz heard the door click shut and turned, rising as Woody started towards him.

"Buzz, my man, congratulations!" Woody exclaimed, shaking Buzz's hand fiercely as the young blonde woman also started to rise to her feet as well.

"Thanks," Buzz said, as Woody's handshake jostled him. Jessie stepped forward timidly, not wanting to intrude too much, but kept her eyes on Bo for a moment, trying to figure her out. Her expression revealed nothing, other than the fact she was watching Woody pointedly.

The two young men suddenly realised the girls were left out of the introductions and gladness, and Woody was the first to remedy the situation.

"Oh, Jessie," he turned to his sister, who took another tentative step forward, "This is Bo, Buzz's partner," he gestured to Bo, who also started forward.

"Hi," Bo said, in a quiet, but somewhat authoritative voice. "So you're Jessie. Woody's talked of you before." She flicked her eyes to Woody, and back to Jessie, and the redhead was aware that a bear hug would not be appropriate for this introduction. She hesitated, glancing at Woody, who for some reason had suddenly gone glassy eyed. Fortunately Buzz stepped in to remedy the awkward silence.

"So, what about our news, huh," he said in a jovial manner, wrapping a arm around Bo's waist, who glanced at him for a moment before returning her eyes back to Woody and Jessie.

"It's great!" Woody enthused, but Jessie sighed.

"Will someone PLEASE fill me in on what the heck is going on?"

"Woody? You didn't tell her?" Bo said incredulously, her gaze resting more firmly on the tall young man, who spluttered out a response.

"I didn't think it was appropriate for me to tell her."

Bo rolled her eyes and turned back to pat Buzz on the chest. "Maybe we better show her. I don't think she'd believe it if we just told her."

"Okay." Buzz smiled at the blonde, "I'll just go get the laptop. It's all on there." He left the room, and Bo gestured to the two seats that her and Buzz had previously been occupying. Jessie took a seat, gazing around the room, and a few minutes later, Buzz returned, setting the laptop down on the table. He pressed a few keys, fiddled with the mouse, and then stood back up.

"Ready to see?"


	3. The Unveiling

**Chapter 3 – The Unveiling**

_Just to reply to the 2 reviews over the ending of Chapter 2 - YES I'M EVIL! Anyway, **further notes** are at the end of the chapter, so not to be too spoileriffic! Lol._

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Jessie shot a glance at Woody, who chuckled quietly to himself. "Yeah, we're ready," she muttered, eyeing her brother still. This was really freaking her out.

She turned to see Bo taking up a position in the middle of the floor, facing the mirror. Buzz meanwhile, had clicked on the mouse on the laptop once more and then went to join her, grabbing a piece of material from the windowsill. He got to just beside Bo as the music started, the hard guitar riff filling the room before giving way to a more funky beat, almost a Spanish type song.

Almost immediately Bo flung herself into a dance move, starting to roll her hips as she moved around the dance space, rolling her wrists so her hands moved in circles too, almost like a true flamenco dancer, one hand level with her chest and the other above her head slightly.

Buzz, Jessie noticed, was standing just wide of her, and as the beat changed, he joined her, as Bo continued to move, he circled her, and the two of them kept their eyes locked as they continued to dance.

Bo kicked and twirled her way through the first part of the dance, Buzz mirroring her moves constantly until she moved back to dance solo. She moved back forward after another twirl and a double kick, to one side of the performance space, and Buzz continued to mirror her steps as she began to shimmy using the long skirt of the dress she was wearing. The piece of material he'd grabbed was tied around his neck with a piece of cord, obviously some kind of makeshift cape, Jessie realised with a smile.

As the two of them turned in sync, clapping and shimmying, Jessie got caught up in the music, allowing her foot to tap in time with the fast beat.

Bo was throwing her hands out to the music, stepping side to side, again a gesture mirrored by Buzz on the other side of her. Bo began to twirl and jump, turning back quickly to repeat the entire sequence already performed, Buzz keeping pace with her.

She was a dynamic dancer, Jessie thought, watching the young blonde woman twirling and kicking to the music – but there was something oddly strange about her dance style. She seemed comfortable in the medium, but there was something...bothering her almost. Like she was uneasy. She wasn't _in_ the music.

And Buzz...what could she say about Buzz? He moved so fluidly! Jessie snapped out of her thoughts for a moment as she noticed the beat change again.

Buzz had grabbed hold of Bo's hand, pulling her in from the Spanish dance, so she spun into his arms. She grasped his shoulders as he started to walk her, tango style, around the room, one of her hands on his shoulder and the other hand firmly in his as he picked her up into the air, then back down again, continuing to tango with her until the music finished. Right at the end, he pirouette'd her under his arm before walking her backwards and holding her in place as she sank into a lunge position to finish.

Jessie was stunned, and returned to her previous thoughts. _Buzz could dance?_ This was the surprise? She turned her head to look at Woody, who seemed as incapable of speech as she was. The dance couple were now starting to make their way over to where they were sitting, Buzz's face flushed and Bo's face equally so.

There was only one thing going through Jessie's mind still. "You guys were fabulous! I had no idea you could dance!" She clamoured.

Bo smiled. "Thanks. Always nice to have an appreciative audience." She looked at Woody. "What did you think?" she asked softly, fluttering her lashes at Jessie's brother. Woody still sat there rather shocked, and Jessie elbowed him.

"Hey, dorkbrains, answer the lady." She raised her chin in Bo's direction.

"Wha? Oh...yeah...you guys...you guys are really good," Woody said, turning brown eyes on Bo.

Jessie rolled her own green eyes at her brothers stupidity and turned back to focus on Buzz, who was fiddling with the laptop on the table. "So, Buzz, you never told me this is what you were studying at college. I didn't have you down as a dancer!"

"Well..." Buzz shut the laptop and turned, leaning awkwardly against the table, "I'm not taking a course, it's more like a extracurricular thing. Like a minor subject on top of what else I'm studying."

"Oh. So..." Jessie hedged, wondering what to say next. "So, this is what you got me and Woody to come here for, to see you guys dance, right?" She looked uncertain, and Buzz laughed, coming over to put his arm around Bo's waist again. The blonde took no notice, she was still busy fluttering her big eyes at Woody, who was returning her attention tenfold.

"No, Jessie," Buzz said, immune to what was going on between his dance partner and his best friend. "Bo and me have been auditioning and training for festivals. The next big one is the summer festival, where we get to compete against nine other colleges, and they picked me and Bo to represent ours!"

Jessie's eyes widened. "No freaking way!"

"Yes freaking way," Buzz laughed, and Jessie jumped up to envelope him in yet another bear hug.

* * *

_Okay, so the additional notes: _

_Music video for __"Give A Little More" by Maroon 5__. Just cos you NEED to listen to the song in order to understand where I am going with this! It's not intentionally tango or even Spanish themed, but it seems to have the influence – __http: / www. youtube. com/ watch? v= BP1PsqBmbvM (remove spaces)_

_[The change between Spanish and Tango dance occurs at 2.12 of the song. First part of the dance I describe is Spanish/Arab orientated, and repeated twice (0.15 till 1.24, then again 1.25 – 2.12, followed by a tango style dance till the end]._

_Spanish/Arab dance video - mute it and just watch! [1.40 – 2.45 she begins to do the dance I am describing] - __http: / www. youtube. com/ watch?_v= 7DhB77dgTHc

_Beautiful fast tango video - again mute and just watch! [start it at 0.20 – 1.12] __http: / www. youtube. com/ watch?_v= bXhQNRsH3uc

_Also, inspiration for the minor subject + festivals is derived from a real life university I researched, Lamar University in Texas - they offer minor dance courses alongside their degrees in dance, and the minor students are allowed to partake in festivals, concerts, etc._


	4. All Over

**Chapter 4 – All Over**

_Note: I've had a couple of people ask via private msgs and reviews, what way are the pairings going? Buzz x Bo, Buzz x Jessie, Woody x Bo?_

_...The secret's in the frosting. I'll never tell :-P

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Two weeks later, and things were going well for Jessie. She'd settled into a routine of university, followed by a short amount of intense homework before relaxing for the evening.

Her homework, completed in her bedroom to guarantee her maximum privacy, was not done in a peaceful way – more often than not music blaring from her room would lead to Woody banging on the wall that divided their rooms.

Her relaxing, on the flip side, was usually conducted quietly in the shared den of the house, kitted out with TV, various sofas and chairs, and other personal possessions the three of them had brought from their own homes to make it cosy. It was usually just her and Woody too, given to Buzz spending all waking hours rehearsing dance routines with Bo for the fast approaching summer festival.

When Buzz was in the house, he did nothing but talk of the festival either. It was one long discussion that never ceased – usually about dance moves, scoring tables, the rumours about the other universities or colleges competing, the clothing they had to wear for the performance, getting dance shoes resoled...the list was endless.

* * *

However, one day in the middle of the summer term, Buzz returned home with a pained expression on his face. Jessie, the only one in the house at the time, due to Woody being at a history lecture for his own course, was forced to bear the brunt of the situation that ensued.

"It's over." Buzz flopped, with some difficulty, into a kitchen chair, and Jessie turned from where she was making pasta on the stove, to regard him quietly. At 5ft 7', his somewhat bulky frame suddenly looked limp as he sat there, one elbow propped up on the table and his hand was splayed out, covering his face and hiding both his eyes.

Jessie went back to her cooking. "What is?" She threw over her shoulder, expecting Buzz to start rambling on about fees or travel distances or even the fact that he couldn't get a dance move right.

"The festival. It's over."

"Don't be silly, Buzz. They don't just cancel festivals." Jessie continued to stir the boiling water on the stove.

"It's not the festival they've cancelled," Buzz snapped, and Jessie jumped. Some of the water flicked onto the cooker top and fizzled against the heat. She turned her body halfway to see Buzz sitting slightly more upright and looking at her with a now annoyed expression.

"Whoa there, Buzz," Jessie said softly. "You look like you sat on your spurs."

"I might as well have," Buzz flopped back in the chair. "Bo's injured."

"What?" Jessie's jaw dropped. "How?"

"She was in gymnastics class, her major subject, you know, and she was in the middle of a lift stance, she was the one being lifted, and when she came out of the lift she fell and someone trod on her arm. It's badly bruised and twisted. She's gotta wear a sling until it heals...and that could take weeks. She can't rehearse, so the festival's out of the question for us."

Jessie regained composure. "Oh Buzz, I'm sorry." She was, too. "I know how much the whole thing meant to you."

Buzz shrugged. "We're out of it. There's nothing more to say."

"Can't you get a replacement?"

"Where the heck am I going to find a replacement at such short notice? No one in the minor subject is up to scratch for such a performance, and anyway, they all have their own preferences as to who they want to dance with. Besides, Bo and me have been dancing together for ages, ever since I met her on the course two years ago; we have our own vibe. There's a reason why I call her my partner, Jessie. She might as well be the other half of me sometimes."

Jessie looked thoughtful for a moment, stirring her pasta as she gazed at the very unhappy young man sitting nearby. "I'm sorry," she repeated, and Buzz sighed sadly.

"Me too, Jess. Me too."


	5. Just Dance

**Chapter 5 – Just Dance**

_Note: Sorry, short chapter, because I need to go out today but wanted to post something!_

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It was a week later, and Buzz was still in a state of mourning over the loss of his dance partner's inability to perform, and their impending exclusion from the festival. Woody and Jessie were tiptoeing around him, since one wrong word – as Jessie had found out that first afternoon in the kitchen – was likely to trigger him to explode.

The end of the term was coming up fast, and Jessie was amazed at how quickly it had gone. She was a little behind the others in her course, but she was catching up fast, and even some of the tutors had commented on her progress. She would be a few weeks behind them still, and would probably need some additional tutoring at the beginning of the second year, just to bring her entirely up to standard, but Jessie was determined to go into her next academic year knowing everything she needed to.

Woody, studying history, and more specifically, western culture, was rarely to be seen in the den anymore; he had second year final essays to draft and write, which kept him up into the early hours of the morning. Jessie would notice his light shining under the crack of his bedroom door when she padded along to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and hoped he wasn't burning the midnight oil too severely.

She was making sure she got enough rest herself, her own course demanded the energy, but she couldn't help feeling worried for her brother. They had been close when they had both been at home, and people would often comment that they never seemed to have a bad word to say about each other, regardless of how much she must have ticked Woody off when she was younger. Although they were chalk and cheese when it came to interests, Jessie loved her brother fiercely. And she knew he respected and regarded her in the same way; even if it was difficult for him to say it outright, he conveyed it in other ways.

What better example than for him to allow her to move in with him and Buzz? She thought one evening, as she cuddled up in bed and waited for sleep to overtake her.

* * *

Buzz, on the other hand, had less positive thoughts. After his conversation with Jessie the week previous, he had also been advised by his dance tutor to attempt to find a replacement for Bo, with the assurance that if Buzz found someone worthy, they could be auditioned, and accepted or denied for the festival within a few moments. The dance department had been thrown into a frenzy when Bo had fallen in the gymnastics class and been injured. She was one of the best dancers on the minor course and essentially their best chance at the festival.

Even though there were many other students on both his own minor course and also majoring in dance, despite the fact that usually major students weren't considered for festivals due to their own heavy workload of choreography and such, Buzz refused the advice of the dance tutor, preferring to ponder what might have been.

He took to moping in his own room, occasionally putting on the track that Bo and himself had so frequently amazed the tutors with, followed by Woody and Jessie in the rehearsal that afternoon not so long ago.

* * *

It was one warm June afternoon that Buzz's ponderings and need for reflection took him back to the building where the aforementioned rehearsal room was. He arrived mid afternoon, unusually for him, since all his usual dance rehearsals were conducted in the building when most of the classes had finished.

He entered the building, inhaling the familiar smell. The building was only a year old – it had been constructed over the last summer break, specifically for the arts and dance students to have more space to rehearse for classes and work on choreography. It was a welcome addition, but even so Buzz couldn't help feeling melancholy as he walked slowly down the corridor.

Many of the rooms were in use, he realised, and some of the dancers were warming up in the narrow passageway, watching him as he passed by them. The doors had small windows in them, and he peered into some of them, trying to avoid the stares of the people in the hallway surrounding him. He finally got to the end of the corridor, which was pretty deserted, except for some lockers. Buzz was about to turn and walk back the way he had come, when he heard music coming from one of the rooms to the right, and he noticed a door slightly ajar.

As he moved to shut the door, in order to give whoever was in the room more privacy and to shut out the music, he glanced through the small window and gawped.

For there, not more than four feet in front of him, was Jessie, dancing to the music as if her life depended on it.

* * *

He found himself watching the redhead inside the room. She was moving in a modern dance fashion along to a track that Buzz recognised as "Just Dance", her hair tied back into bunches, and her slim figure dressed in just a pair of blue tracksuit bottoms and a grey spaghetti strap top.

She didn't see him peering at her. She kept right on dancing, her hips swaying. She dipped and lunged her body into all sorts of positions that Buzz didn't even know existed. She danced on both feet, twirled herself around into positions, fell to the floor and did kicks in the air, pulled herself back up in time with the music, strutted, whirled around...he couldn't keep up with her movements.

As the music finished, Buzz drew back from the door, seeing her walk over to the stereo and switch it off. As he ducked back fully behind a locker in the corner, the door of the room opened fully and he watched Jessie walk out, a bag slung over her shoulder, humming to herself as she strolled down the corridor and outside.

He couldn't find the words. _Jessie could dance? _Why had Woody never told him? He knew Buzz had been moping over the loss of Bo, so why hadn't he suggested his own sister?

Suddenly, he made up his mind – he was going to find out exactly what Jessie was capable of. And then he'd approach her if she was good enough and ask her to be his replacement partner.

_ There was no way she could say no...was there?_


	6. Conversations of the Dance Kind

**Chapter 6 – Conversations of the Dance Kind**

When Jessie left for university the next afternoon, Buzz was waiting outside just around the corner from the house. She was dressed in her red peaked cap, red tracksuit bottoms, and a white crop top, her hair back in a messy ponytail. He watched the young girl jogging out of the house, the way she did most days. Then he realised she wasn't merely jogging to the bus stop – no, she was jogging for twenty minutes, all the way to university. He sighed; he'd have to follow her. Fortunately, she was wearing earphones and listening to an IPod as she jogged, and was taking no notice of him behind her, as he followed at some distance.

Twenty minutes later Jessie made it to the campus and slowed her jogging to a walk, heading for the rehearsal building. He watched to make sure she was definitely entering the building, and then lurked for a moment or two outside. Some of the other minor dance students noticed him and called hello to him, but he avoided their looks. He didn't need anyone else telling him how sorry they were to hear about Bo. It was enough to make him have a nervous breakdown.

Immune to the haughty looks they threw after him for his ignorance, Buzz felt enough time had passed for Jessie to have settled herself inside a room. Striding to the main door, he pulled it open and glanced down the corridor, wondering if she would be in a class suddenly. There was only one way to find out. He started his walk down the passageway, and some of the students who had seen him the previous day stared at him once more, beginning to whisper to each other. He peered into each room as he passed, expecting to see her as part of a class.

Sixteen rooms down he was rewarded with the sight he wanted to see. Inside the room he peered into, four girls were dancing in sync, facing away from him, Jessie at the far back right and furthest from him. The door was slightly ajar again, and he noticed it was wedged open this time. The pop music blasting from the room was ear piercing, but again Buzz's eyes were drawn immediately to Jessie. She was so breathtaking when she danced – she really threw herself into every dance move and pulled them all off without a single hitch, whether she was merely throwing her hands into the air or strutting around in sync with the other girls.

He was so busy watching the goings on that when someone tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped and nearly fell against the door.

"Can I help you?" The wiry brunette in front of him asked, and he felt a blush rising up his cheeks.

"Er...no...I was just..."

"Hey, I know you. You're Buzz, right?" The girl's voice was suddenly sympathetic. "Hey, I heard about Bo. Tough break, dude."

"Yeah," Buzz fidgeted. "Well, I should be going."

"No, come on, I know the rest of the girls knew Bo really well and I'm sure they'd want to offer their condolences too."

Buzz's eyes widened. There was no way he could step foot in that room. But it was too late - even as the thought crossed his brain, the brunette had grabbed his arm and was dragging him inside the room, kicking the door wedge out of the way as she did. As she door shut loudly behind them, all the girls stopped dancing and turned to look.

"Marcelle!" A tall blonde complained. "Don't interrupt the flow, sister." Her eyes fell on Buzz. "Oh my goodness, is that who I think it is?" She said softly, raising a hand to her mouth, her eyes full of sorrow as she started to walk towards Buzz, who promptly began to panic. As his eyes swivelled around the room, he took in the five girls surrounding him, and there at the back, with her hands on her hips, was Jessie, not looking in the slightest bit amused.

* * *

"YOU FOLLOWED ME?" Jessie hollered. They were alone in the rehearsal room an hour later, the other girls having made plans to be elsewhere after their dance session. Buzz coughed.

"Not exactly."

"Marcelle said you were watching from outside the room! Why were you watching me?" Jessie demanded, her cheeks flushed pink with anger.

"Well..." Buzz hedged, and Jessie merely glared.

"Okay, if there's one thing I don't like, it's a liar, so don't you dare lie to me, Buzz!" She yelled.

Buzz thanked the heavens for the rehearsal rooms being soundproof. But at the same time Jessie's rage was likely to blow the roof off. "I only came to watch you because I happened to see you dancing the other day," he admitted, looking down at the floor as Jessie exploded once again.

"SO THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME?" She hollered again, and Buzz cringed.

"Well...no...but the first time was an accident."

"When?"

"Yesterday..." he looked up at her sheepishly.

"So two days in a row? What were you gonna do Buzz, follow me for the next week? I think in some states they'd call that harassment or even stalking!" Jessie exclaimed, starting to gather up her jacket and stuffing it back into her bag.

"No Jess, I just wanted to watch you until..."

"Until what?" She muttered loudly, hunting in the side pocket of her bag for something.

"Until I was sure that you were...right."

"Right about what?" Jessie looked up, dragging out a bottle of water from the pocket of her bag and taking a swig.

"Not that sort of right. Right for me to ask you to be Bo's replacement." There, it was out in the open.

Jessie, however, choked on the water she'd just swallowed. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"The festival. I saw you dancing, and I thought, maybe you'd like to take Bo's place."

"What?" Jessie glared at him. Buzz sensed this was not going down well.

"Well...I thought, you were so good yesterday and all, that..."

She cut him off. "I'm sorry, I think you must have me confused with someone who likes dancing for a crowd."

"Don't you?" Buzz asked, and she shook her head.

"No. I dance for myself, and the course. I don't dance for a large crowd of strangers." She stuffed the water bottle back into her bag, and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet my tutor for extra tuition." She slung the bag over her back, pushed past Buzz, and left the room.

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Buzz complained. He was sitting on the bed in Woody's room.

Woody swivelled around a little in his desk chair, breaking his attention from his papers to regard Buzz for a while.

"What haven't I told you this time?" He asked, scratching his forehead with a pencil.

"About Jessie and her dancing."

"My sister and her-?" Woody rolled his eyes. "Buzz, I told you a billion times. Jessie's been dancing since she was a little girl. Don't you remember? You danced with her at our cousins wedding."

"Yeah but...that's different. She's in those rehearsal rooms at the university dancing her heart out."

"Buzz...Buzz...Buzz." Woody sighed. "Jessie took ballet when she was five or six years old. She started tap dancing when she was ten and started looking into doing modern dance when she was fourteen. When the places on the degree course for majoring in dance came up here at Lamar, Jessie went for it and got in. She's been studying modern dance for over four years, and she loves it."

Buzz blinked. "And you told me this when?"

"Oh, how about the recitals of hers I had to attend with my Mom when Jessie was in tenth grade? How about her graduation with honours in dance? Or how about the simple fact that every boy at her high school prom wanted to be seen with her on the dance floor?"

Buzz sighed. "I guess you must have."

"Damn right I did. Now...is there anything else you'd like me to refresh your memory on?" Woody asked sarcastically, turning back to his papers without waiting for Buzz's response.

"Actually, yes. What does Jessie have against dancing for a crowd?"

Woody swivelled back round to face his friend. "What would she need to dance for a crowd for, exactly?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping that maybe...well, if I could talk her round," Buzz stuttered," that maybe she might consider being Bo's replacement."

"Oh Buzz, seriously? That's what this is about? You want my little sister to fill in just so you can partake in this crappy festival contest?"

"It's not some crappy festival contest, Woody! It's important to the reputation of the university. They're giving out prizes, trophies, and other stuff too," Buzz argued, and Woody laughed shortly.

"Still, it seems to me, if this is all you need Jessie for, why not pick some other girl on your minor course, or even the major course?"

"Because none of the minor students were half as good as Bo! And all the major students are too snobby!" Buzz retorted.

"And Jessie...?" Woody asked, allowing the question to hang in mid air.

"She's practically family, and better than I know anyone else to be at dance. Have you ever seen her dance since she's been here?"

Woody hesitated. Buzz smiled. "Should I take that as a no?"

"I've been busy," Woody said defensively, turning back to his papers. "And I still am. Now if there is nothing else..."

"No, nothing else," Buzz retorted, getting up and walking to the door. It looked like he was going to have to talk Jessie round alone. And that didn't look like it was going to be easy.


	7. Twist and Shout

**Chapter 7 – Twist and Shout**

_Notes: __Labanotation is a system of analysing and recording human movement, especially used by dancers for choreography._

_Song used is Hanson's Thinking Bout Somethin'. Come onnn, I've been good and not used a single Hanson song so far. Cut me some slack! :-P (btw, I dont own copyright, yada yada)

* * *

_

Now Jessie was onto him, it wasn't going to be easy trying to follow her to watch her anymore. He decided to leave her alone for a couple of days, so she might be lulled into a false sense of security, and think that her words to him in the rehearsal room had hit their mark.

Two days after the run in with her, he was on campus anyway. He was sitting down for a lecture for his major subject – languages – and opened his bag to rifle for his notepad. To his surprise, there were two notepads in his satchel, one that was definitely his, and another that most definitely wasn't. He pulled both of the pads out, pushed his own one to the side, and opened the other.

Inside messy scrawl met his eyes, mostly sentences, and as he flipped through, small drawings appeared on some of the pages. The drawings appeared more frequently as he continued to pore over the notepad, and he realised with a start that he was looking at labanotation.

This had to be Jessie's notepad, he realised with a jolt. She'd written down all her moves for her choreography in exquisite detail. There was the routine for 'Just Dance', and over the page there was more messy scribble, followed by something written underneath in capitals.

"Rehearse twist movements, June 21st, room A049, booked slot 2.15pm – 3.00pm."

June 21st? That was today, Buzz realised. He checked his watch and saw the time was 1pm. She would be there in just over one hour, and his lecture was an hour long. He pushed the notepad back into his bag as the lecture began, pulling a pen from his pocket and opening his own book. Yes, he was definitely going to have another crack at talking to Woody's determined little sister.

* * *

An hour later, Buzz left the lecture room and made a beeline straight for the dance building on the other side of campus. It took him 20 minutes to walk there, in the knowledge that Jessie would be in room A049 already, warming up. A dancer like her had to be good at warm ups, he thought, as he pulled open the door of the building for the third time that week and stepped inside.

Today the building was strangely quiet. There were no dancers staring at him in the hall, and as he walked down the corridor there didn't seem to be any classes going on. He must have missed all the buzzing excitement, he thought with relief, remembering how the other students had stared at him.

He located room A049 and cautiously made to peek through the window. But to his surprise, the window was papered over from the inside, and today the door was tightly shut. He frowned. Obviously Jessie wasn't taking any chances.

He took a step back, unsure of what to do. There was no way he could open the door, she'd hear him and have another massive argument with him, and he really wanted to keep her on his good side. And he couldn't watch her because of the lack of window.

He was just turning to walk up the corridor to ponder further when he heard a door open behind him. Quick as a flash Buzz hopped behind some lockers and peeked out. Jessie was walking out of the rehearsal room, her hair plastered to her face with sweat. She'd obviously been working out her warm up, Buzz thought, watching her head towards the vending machine at the other end of the hall. He glanced back at the room and to his surprise the door was wide open.

Making sure she couldn't see him, he put his satchel on the floor and darted through the open door. Once inside he peered around, looking for somewhere to hide. The room was different to the others he'd been in – it had larger windows and there were pull drapes to either side of the mirror.

Without a second thought Buzz hid himself behind the drapes on the left of the mirror, making sure to flatten himself as much as possible against the wall. He sucked in his breath, trying to make as little noise as possible when he heard the door shut again.

Jessie walked back into the room, holding a three quarter full bottle of water in one hand and the cap n the other as she took a thirsty swig. She replaced the cap on the bottle and set it down next to her bag in the far corner, walking to the stereo at the back of the room. Buzz dared peek out, but Jessie didn't seem to have noticed any change in the room whatsoever as she fiddled away with the stereo.

A few moments later a pop tune blared out, something that oddly had a swing dance vibe to it, and Jessie walked back to the centre of the room, gazing into the mirror as she started to dance to the music.

_Well, I gave you love, you know it  
So when did you outgrow it?  
And decide that you would find another man?  
Well, you've been out there shakin'  
Tell the boys you're chasing  
When you get home, I'll be the bigger man_

_I've been thinking 'bout somethin'  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you!_

As she started to go into her twist moves, Buzz slightly moved the drape he hid behind, watching her in awe again. It almost felt taboo to be spying on her like this, but he couldn't help himself. She was so amazing, and every time he watched he felt like joining her. And why shouldn't he?

_I ignored your reputation  
'Cause you send my heart racing  
You think I would always be the fool  
Well, I've run out of patience  
For this sticky situation  
You won't find me crying that we're through_

_I've been thinking 'bout somethin'  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you  
It's sad to say, but baby everyday  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin'  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you  
It's sad to say, hey_

Jessie was still working on the twist moves in time to the music, and then she paced side to side before twisting all the way to the ground and back up, waving her arms in the air. She clapped and kicked along to the beat. She didn't stop for a second to catch her breath and he was amazed at her energy. He'd known she must have stamina to be a dancer but he didn't remember seeing her like this.

_Well, if you're not too proud to beg  
I could give you some respect  
That tune you're humming is never gonna change  
You didn't have to do what you did  
I didn't think you'd end it like this  
'Cause the love I've got is better than what you gave  
Well, I've got girls in line  
Waiting for these arms of mine  
Listen up to what I say_

Her dance moves were now causing her to twist in a circle slowly, and he noticed she was dancing away from the mirror, waving her hands in the air. She was really getting into the music, he thought, as he saw her close her eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

_I've been thinking 'bout somethin'  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you  
It's sad to say, but baby everyday  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin'  
I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you_

_Hey, hey, I took my best shot  
I've had enough of your tainted love you give me everyday_

As the beat changed, her back was still to the mirror, her hands raised above her head. As she started to move back around to face the mirror she flung her right arm out and Buzz seized the moment. He lunged from behind the curtain, grabbing her hand and spinning her into his arms. They came nose to nose, Jessie's eyes flying open in shock as she realised it was him.

"Buzz!" She stumbled backwards, an angry look beginning to come over her face just as the instrumental kicked in. She opened her mouth to let fly at him, and Buzz suddenly found himself thinking on his feet, flinging himself into a similar swing dance move to the one he'd seen her perform.

When he looked across at her, her angry expression had changed to one of confusion, watching him dance like that. He gestured to her to join him.

_I tried to limit the lonely nights  
But darlin' please, c'mon, c'mon  
I'm not gonna make that same mistake_

When she didn't immediately respond, he called over the music. "Just copy me, Jess." She hesitated, putting her left foot forward, and he needed no other indication, spinning her around under his arm and letting her fly out to the other side, still holding her hand. Her face was flushed as he started to twist dance alongside her, her eyes watching him intently as he danced.

_You've been out there foolin', but I'm not thinkin' about you  
I've been gettin' the love that moves me, while you've been getting around  
You've been out there foolin', but I'm not thinkin' about you  
I've been gettin' the love that moves me, while you've been getting around  
You've been out there foolin', but I'm not thinkin' about you  
I've been gettin' the love that moves me, while you've been getting around!

* * *

_

As the final bars of the music died down, they both stopped and looked at each other.

"Well, that was fun," Jessie commented flatly, turning on her heel and walking over to the stereo to switch it off." She turned back and leaned against the wall, gesturing to the door. "I don't even want to know how you worked out where I was, or even how you got in the room. Just go, please."

"But we danced together, Jessie. Don't you see?" Buzz said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Geesh, are you still on _that_? I told you a couple days ago. No."

"But Jess-"

"I said NO! What part of that two letter word do you not understand?" She snapped.

"The part where you refuse to believe youre a good dancer."

Jessie sighed. "It's not that I don't think I'm okay at dancing, Buzz. I know I have a long way to go though. Its just...I have all these extra tutorings to get me good enough to be a worthy second year major. I have all these notes to do, all these dances to figure out, the dance with the girls that we need to choreograph and perform at the end of the year...I don't have time for festival rehearsals."

Buzz was silent for a moment. "But it's only one dance, Jessie."

"I don't have time for one more dance, Buzz. You know how long it takes to choreograph a routine!"

"So I'll do the choreography, and you follow it."

"But I...I have all these other dances to memorise, Buzz. I'd need rehearsal time, and the festival is only four weeks away at best. We'd never be ready. And as for even getting me in, we'd need someone to watch us first, not to mention plan a routine for showcasing."

"Auditioning? Thats what you're worried about?"

"Yeah, these things take time, Buzz."

"What about if I said I could get you an audition by the end of the week?"

Jessie hesitated again, and he could see her resolve failing. He pushed on. "We could rehearse after your classes, instead of during the day when you're busy. It'd keep us out of Woody's hair while he's studying for his own finals. I could even help you with your notes if you like. Besides, they might see your rehearsals as the extra tuition you've been put down for."

Jessie swallowed, and looked down at the floor. When she looked back up, she raised her eyes level with Buzz's. "One dance?"

"One dance." He affirmed.

"Wellllllll..." She drew out the word and he felt himself hold his breath. Was she relenting?

"Well...I guess...there's no harm in trying," she conceded gently, and he had to keep from punching the air in joy.

"That's great! I'll go talk to Mr Applegate and see when he can audition you, and you'll know in moments if you're in or not."

"Okay..." Jessie started, as Buzz rushed for the door. "Buzz?"

He turned mid step and looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"What happens if they accept me?"

"Oh that...well then there's the festival to train for," Buzz winked, and disappeared before Jessie could say another word.


	8. Dancing Butterflies

**Chapter 8 – Dancing Butterflies**

"Buzz! " Jessie hissed under her breath as they walked into the gymnasium three days later. "I thought you said it was only going to be Mr Applegate watching. Who are these others?" She gestured to the other people scattered on the bleachers.

"I'm not sure...I think some of them might have gotten wind of what's going on..." Buzz answered lamely, and Jessie socked him on the arm lightly.

"You know how I am with crowds, Buzz. Can't we move it somewhere else?"

"How can I go up to Mr Applegate and tell him 'sorry my partner doesn't perform for a crowd'?" Buzz retorted in a whisper. Jessie opened her mouth and closed it again.

"We're going to have to do the routine in front of all of them?"

"Well, think of it as good practise, Jess." Buzz turned to her for a minute and put his hands on her shoulders. "You'll be fine. If anything, you'll be better than you were in rehearsal."

"So no pressure then?" She answered sarcastically.

"Not really. Except you should probably know the festival is everything to me at the moment and so if this fails I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably also be a gibbering wreck for the rest of the summer term," Buzz said with a smile.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "So no more of a nuisance than normal, huh?"

Buzz wasn't listening. He was watching Mr Applegate, the dance tutor for the minor students, head over to them. "Afternoon, you two. I'm sorry, I don't think I've had the pleasure." Mr Applegate said, looking at Jessie.

"Oh, Jessie Pride, sir." Jessie squeaked out, suddenly feeling the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter.

"Jessie. Lovely name, exquisite." Mr Applegate turned back to Buzz. "Well, whenever you're ready – champ," he teased, and Buzz groaned.

"Sir, please don't put any ideas into my head."

"I know son, I know. It was a terrible shame about Bo. We all feel the same way. When I found out you'd finally found a replacement, I was so over the moon I couldn't stop telling people. That's why the audition is less than private." He gestured to the bleachers. "But I'm sure, if you've found the right young lady for a partner, a few extra people watching won't be any torment."

"_That's what you think,"_ Jessie thought to herself, the butterflies dancing like crazy in her stomach still. At least _they_ didn't have stage fright.

"Well, I'll leave you to get started. I trust you did your warm up already?" Mr Applegate said, and Buzz nodded.

"Just about ready to go, sir."

"Good good. In your own time, then." Mr Applegate smiled at them, and turned on his heel, walking towards the front of the bleachers.

"Okay. This is it, Jess. Now, remember the routine, what we practised?"

Jessie nodded slowly, the butterflies moving up to flutter around her heart and make it pace more rapidly.

Buzz saw her nervousness. "Okay. Come on, deep breaths. In, out, in out," he inhaled and exhaled, and Jessie copied him. In a strange way, it began to calm her.

"Okay, all ready?" Buzz asked after a few more deep breath exercises.

The breathing must have blown out some of the butterflies, because her heart and stomach suddenly didn't feel quite so tingly anymore.

"I think so," she said, a little more confidently than she felt.

"Well, our audience awaits, miss," Buzz grinned, taking her hand in his and beginning to lead her out to the floor.

* * *

Half an hour later the gym was deserted except for two lone figures staring at each other.

"Buzz? What happened? I thought...I thought that..."

"I don't know Jess, I don't know..." Buzz replied, softly. He was just as blown away as her by what had just happened.

"So, this means..." she started, but couldn't finish her sentence.

"It means..." the realisation broke over him hard, like a wave on the sand. "It means...WE'RE IN THE FESTIVAL!" He hollered.

Jessie screamed, jumping up to throw her arms around him. For some reason, however, the sensation of the hug made her blush and pull away almost as quickly as she'd gone into it. She coughed to cover her sudden shyness. "Wow, that's awesome! You really think they liked it?"

"Did you not hear them applauding, Jess?" Buzz asked, gesturing to the now empty bleacher area.

"Not really. My heart was drumming in my ears too loud," she laughed, and he had to break a smile at that.

"Oh God Jess, this is amazing! Just wait till we tell Woody and Bo!" Buzz enthused, and Jessie frowned.

"Won't Bo be a bit...you know...angry you picked someone else?"

"I can't see why she would be. It's not like she can do much with the condition she's in." Buzz pointed out.

"That's true," Jessie agreed, "Still, I bet she'd be pretty mad."

"I don't think Bo gets mad..." Buzz said thoughtfully. "In fact I've rarely known her to show emotion, except for in some of the dances I've done with her."

"Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Not really. I don't focus on her energy. I focus on my own."

Jessie nodded. "I suppose that's a fair comment..." she trailed off and shrugged her shoulders. "So now what?"

"We work on the dance routine for the festival." Buzz said matter of factly, starting to walk out of the gym with her in pursuit.

"Oh, right." She'd thought the routine they'd just performed was the routine for the festival, but maybe it hadn't been sparkly enough to wow a judge.

Buzz read her mind. "Of course we can use that routine, we just need to glam it up a bit. Put in a few twirls, a few moves, maybe even a lift." Jessie fell silent for several moments after this, and he looked at her. She'd gone white. "Jess?" He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"You look like you saw a ghost."

"No. I'm fine." She bit her lip and kept on walking.

"Was it something I said?"

"No." She kept staring straight ahead. Buzz decided not to push the issue.

"You know, you're a really good dancer, Jess. Much different to when I danced with Bo."

"How so?" She still didn't look at him, even with the impending compliment coming.

"Well, you're more...soft. Not as...well...rigid as her."

"What?" She gave him a half glance to the side, frowning.

"Well, Bo almost seemed scared to do anything daring, A lot of our pair work is choreographed so she can show off her footwork. And not that it isn't a great routine when we do it...just...it gets a little dated. The whole flamenco, Spanish thing...it's been done, Jess. I wanted to do something different. In a way...it's almost a blessing she got injured, because if she hadn't, I wouldn't have found a partner willing to adapt."

Jessie was still regarding him out of the corner of her eye. "Okay, I give, what do you want?"

He was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"You're complimenting me. Your best friend's sister. I live with you. What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to...give you some words of encouragement."

"Oh." They were outside the changing area by the gym now. Her cheeks were flushed pink, he noticed, and thought how pretty she looked when embarrassed. He coughed. "Well, I shouldn't be dawdling. I should get changed and get to my languages class. I'll see you at home, tonight?"

"Sure." She watched him disappear, the butterflies in her stomach returning. _What was going on?_ She wondered. Why had she suddenly got all jittery around Buzz? He was_ Buzz_, for goodness sake. Without paying any more attention to her thoughts, she pulled open the female changing room door, and stepped inside.


	9. Jessie's Problem

**Chapter 9 - Jessie's Problem**

The next evening after classes were finished for the day and their rehearsal time had been used, Jessie and Buzz joined Woody in the den. Woody was taking time out from his essays for a change, and it was nice for the three of them to spend time together.

Buzz was sitting in the armchair, watching Woody on the far end of the sofa. Jessie was laid over the remaining portion of sofa, her long legs dangling over the arm. Her head was resting on Woody's leg, her red hair fanned out around her face as she giggled at something on the programme she was watching.

They'd told Woody about the audition outcome and he was naturally pleased for the both of them. Still Buzz couldn't shake the feeling there was something bothering his friend throughout the whole story being told. He dismissed it as distraction – Woody had a full plate with all the work he was doing, it was probably nothing. His own mind was elsewhere anyway – between worrying about his own languages test coming up, he also had rehearsals to attend every day, and then there was the fact he hoped consistently that Bo was ok. After all, they'd been dancing together for a while...it was only natural to worry, wasn't it? He voiced the concern aloud during a break in the programme.

"Either of you two heard from Bo, recently?"

Jessie shook her head in a 'no' fashion, and Woody didn't say anything.

"Woody?" Buzz prompted.

"No, I haven't." Woody said, staring at the television raptly.

"Such a pity, huh?" Jessie giggled, and Woody frowned at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean it's just as well you haven't seen her, 'cos every time she's in the room you go gaga."

"I do not!"

"Do too! You get a goofy grin on your face and your eyes glaze over."

"They do not."

"Oh, sorry, you're right, You don't do any of that. You just practically dribble all down her."

"I don't!" Woody protested vehemently as Jessie sat up.

"Do, do, do too." She poked him in the ribs with each 'do'.

Buzz watched the exchange curiously. He had to admit he'd never seen what Jessie talked of with the dribbling and the eye glazing and such, but then he'd never found anything that attractive about Bo. Sure, she was nice enough as a partner – but she was rather solid and cool around him when they weren't practising. He was often afraid to pick her up, afraid she would smash if he did something wrong, like a porcelain doll.

He had also been interested, ever since he'd met Woody and Jessie, of the dynamic between them. Having no siblings, he was often alone as a child, until he went to school and met others his age. He'd met Woody during ninth grade when his parents split and he'd moved to accommodate his father's job. At nearly fourteen years old, the younger Buzz excelled at languages, something his friend struggled with, but Woody in return had been good at history and geography, something Buzz despised.

It had been the summer after he first met Woody that he'd encountered Jessie at the Pride's family home in Texas. She had been ten years old at the time, running around in the sprinklers in the back garden, shouting about making tasty mud pies. He'd watched her as her brother shouted at her to turn the sprinklers off, and she'd merely laughed at Woody and made him angry. Then she'd turned emerald eyes on him and for some, probably hormonal teenage boy reason, Buzz couldn't think straight.

He shook the thought aside for a moment, and mused. Although he'd never asked her, he assumed she must have skipped college altogether after high school. How else could she suddenly be the year under them in University all of a sudden? No, she must definitely have a gift in order to go direct from school to a prestigious academy like this.

He came out of his thoughts to find Jessie stomping out of the room in a temper. "What was all that about?" Buzz asked, and Woody, still sitting on the sofa, chuckled.

"I stole the remote from her."

* * *

Buzz retired to the kitchen not long after to make a hot drink before bed. He found it helped him sleep. The pressure of the festival coming so soon had given him a few hours unrest each night; at least with the help of a hot beverage he could drop off into slumber for a while before awakening at some ridiculous hour. He was getting the cocoa powder out of the cupboard when Woody appeared in the doorway.

""You know what you asked me the other night?"Woody asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"Uh..." Buzz racked his brain for a moment, spooning the cocoa powder into a mug without looking up.

"The thing about Jessie, and her fear of crowds?"

"Oh, that. What about it?"

"Truth is –" Woody hesitated and Buzz looked up now. "Jessie's not scared of crowds, Buzz. She's scared of something happening in front of them." He paused. "Jess had this partner in a recital when she was fifteen. The guy was seventeen, it was an out of school event, like a gala concert or something. Anyway he picked her up wrong during a dance. She wasn't injured but her scars are all mental, in her head. It's all about her dance partners. You must have noticed when she performs she stays out of the main action of practises alone."

Buzz thought back to the times he'd seen Jessie dance, and realised Woody was right. She was a reclusive dancer.

"I just thought you'd want to know, Buzz. She seems to really be enjoying having a partner to dance with. It's been three years since she danced with anyone in a duo. I know she's dancing with some of the girls at school for the end of year show but it's not really the same." Woody added, breaking into Buzz's thoughts.

Buzz nodded mutely. "I won't push her, Woody. If she wants to be daring, then she can be. She's written the choreography anyway."

"That's the thing I'm worried about. She writes the choreography specifically to please herself. She won't ever put a lift in, Buzz. If she doesn't, I'm afraid she won't make the grade for being a second year. They'll keep her back and keep tutoring her until she can. I'd rather have someone I know and trust push her now, before she gets too set in her ways."

"But Woody. It's been three years. She's already going to be set in her ways."

"And I'm saying, try and change that. Please Buzz. You're my best friend, and she's my sister. If you won't do it for her, then do it for me. I want to see her excel in dance. I feel bad I wasn't there for her the last couple of years. I want to make it up to her now by asking my friend to give her back that confidence she had when she was fifteen, unafraid to try anything."

"Well..." Buzz hesitated and then let out a sigh. "I'll see what I can do."


	10. Lifting & Falling

**Chapter 10 – Lifting & Falling**

"I can't get it, Buzz," Jessie complained a couple of days later. It was after lessons had finished, and they were in the rehearsal room going over the dance moves for the festival. With a week to go, time was running out, and there was a move in the dance Jessie just couldn't get right. She'd tried over and over to get her footing correct as she'd choreographed it, but it just didn't seem possible.

"Maybe we could replace it." Buzz saw an opening to talk to her about her problem with lifts in dances, and took it. He'd been pondering since his talk with Woody how to bring the subject up. He didn't know how Jessie would react and it scared him. She got so mad so easily when it came to dance.

"What with?" Jessie asked, stretching her arms above her head. He struggled not to stare.

"Maybe with someone else we haven't incorporated at all."

"Like what?" She let her arms flop back to her sides and rolled her hips in a circle to keep them loose. Again, Buzz found himself having problems with his eyes. They seemed to be attracted to watching every move she made.

It had been the same for the past few weeks, throughout the time from when he'd been following her and watching from a distance, until they got into rehearsals together. And it was getting worse all the time. The number they were dancing to was an emotional piece, and it meant she had to lunge about all the time, twirling and dipping in time to the music. And he found himself unable to take his eyes off her when she did. Funny how he was only just noticing it just now, he thought. He forced himself to return to thinking about the subject at hand.

"Like a lift..." he started, trailing off when she looked around at him.

"A lift? Like a dance lift?"

"Yeah."_ What other kind of lift was there?_ He wondered.

"I think I'll get the hang of the step Buzz. Not a case of replacing it." Jessie said coolly, turning away from him to reset the stereo.

"But you've been trying to get the dance move for two weeks Jessie. Face it, it's not happening."

"I didn't know you were a quitter." Jessie said, with her back still to him.

"I'm not. I can't help it if you won't do a risky dance move," Buzz snapped, irritated at her pushing the issue aside.

"Risky?" Jessie turned and put her hands on her hips. "You want risky, pard'ner? I'll show you risky."

Under Buzz's gaze the redhead flipped herself into a cartwheel effortlessly and landed square back on her feet. "Now that's risky. I could have bashed my head in on the floor." Buzz merely blinked, lost for words, and she laughed, turning to walk to the wall. "And another thing," she added, flipping herself onto her hands and going into a perfect handstand. She let her legs go towards the wall and started to walk down it, going into a perfect backbend this time. Buzz forced his mouth not to drop open at how flexible she was. Jessie flipped herself back upright and looked at him, dusting her hands together, "And that's nothing, Buzz. Been doing that since I was a little girl."

"Oh..." was all that came out of Buzz's mouth, before he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So what's the problem, then?" Jessie asked, raising a brow at him.

"Well. You refuse to do lifts, Jess. You go white when I mention them or else you fudge over the issue completely."

"Lifts? This is what this is about? Lifts?" Jessie scowled, and Buzz felt the need to step back a little.

"Uhm..." he wasn't quite sure what to say next. He hadn't been expecting her to be calm about the issue but he wasn't sure whether to anticipate fireworks or not. He decided to drastically change the subject. "You know we're going about this all wrong." He walked past her to the stereo and flipped to a different track. They needed a change of pace, and as uncomfortable as it made him, they had to practise it. A slow melody came on the stereo, and he walked back over Jessie, who glanced at him in confusion.

"What's this for?"

"For the dance." He replied.

"You told me only one dance." Jessie said huffily, folding her arms.

"There is only one dance – if you don't win. This is the spotlight dance for the winners." Buzz reached out to take Jessie's hand but she pulled her hand away just as fast.

"I don't know about this, Buzz."

"Come on Jess. Trust me." Buzz said simply as he took her hand again. He felt her shiver at his words, and wondered why.

"It's not really me." She said firmly, but she didn't pull her hand away this time.

"So, if we do happen to win, and we have to take the floor, you're gonna make up a dance, just like that?"

"I could try," she retorted, and he sighed.

"C'mon Jess. It's easy."

"But what do I do?"

"You just walk in a sort of square. Otherwise, let me lead." Buzz placed her hand on his waist and draped his own around her hip. "Now, give me your other hand, and we'll do a little ballroom dance."

* * *

She couldn't believe he was going through with this. She felt him tug her close to him, a shiver running up her spine as he did so. She hadn't danced ballroom or anything similar since her high school prom, and even then she'd been uneasy in the presence of having a partner. Jessie felt a soft blush creeping up her cheeks at Buzz's lingering touch on her hip.

_What was wrong with her? _ she wondered. She'd felt funny around him ever since the day outside the belated audition for the festival. She often thought she'd caught him staring at her, often wondered why he had been so intent on watching her in the first place, and dismissed it as just being interesting to watch. Now, a few weeks on, she wasn't so sure. She felt herself either get very shy in his presence, or she wanted to show off. And all this ridiculous talk about lifts was making her uneasy in front of him.

Buzz was taking her other hand and holding it out to the side now, and with a gentle nod at her, he pulled her into the dance, twirling her around the floor in his arms. She could have melted at that point. His touch was so gentle, his footsteps so sure as he moved her around. She looked up at his face, watching him counting the steps as he moved, his mouth moving ever so slightly - it mesmerised her.

He glanced down at her, seeing her looking at him. "Enjoy it, Jess. Feel the music. Close your eyes."

She did as he asked, the music washing over her brain as he rocked her in his arms like a baby. She realised, she did trust him. She couldn't fight the feeling in her head any longer, she thought, and rested her head on Buzz's chest. A feeling engulfed her, like a wave on the shore – it felt right to do this with him. She didn't even remember getting this comfortable during her own prom for goodness sake. Not that she'd even been remotely attracted to anyone at high school. She'd never had time for a boyfriend.

She caught her own thoughts immediately. _Attracted? Boyfriend? Was that really what she was thinking about Buzz?_

She was brought out of the few moments of bliss in her own little world by Buzz whispering in her ear. "Ready, Jess?"

"Hmmm?" She looked up at him lazily, her eyes half lidded in happiness.

"For this." Buzz whispered, twirling her gently out in front of him. He spun her back into his arms, and she giggled in amusement. "Wanna go again?" he asked, and she nodded. With a smile, he spun her out again as the music continued. They stayed at arm's length for a while, until he spun her back into his arms again, but this time she ended up the other way around, her back to him, and his arms gently circled her waist, rocking her.

It was with a little gasp that she found herself twirling under his arm as the music played on...it seemed to be an eternity they were dancing together. This time he swung her back into his arms the right way around, but they weren't ballroom dancing anymore, she realised. His body was pressed close to hers, his arms around her holding her waist once more. She needed no further confirmation of her own thoughts. He _was_ looking at her, and she fought to keep control of herself.

They were still in each other's arms when Buzz leaned down. His lips gently touched hers for the briefest of moments, then he pulled back again. "Jessie." He breathed.

"Hmmm?" She murmured, his lips still inches from hers.

"We shouldn't do this. I'm sorry," he whispered, and the illusion shattered as fast as it had become real. As he pulled away from her, she felt jolted, as if her arm had been snapped clean off.

"Buzz?" She asked, seeing him grab his bag, and head for the door. He didn't reply, and in a few moments time, he was gone. She ran to the door as he disappeared through it, flinging herself round the doorframe.

"Buzz!" She called after him, but he just kept walking.


	11. Turning the Tables

**Chapter 11 – Turning the Tables**

_Uh, you remember what I said about this story not being over 10 chapters? I lied...sorry 'bout that. ; - )

* * *

_

The atmosphere in the house was strained for several days after the incident in the rehearsal room. Of course, that's how it seemed to Jessie. The rehearsal sessions Buzz had so carefully planned with her went to pot – she'd arrive on time, sometimes even early, but he wouldn't show up. The first time it happened she'd stayed an extra hour, hoping he might appear, but he never did. The second time she was less forgiving, and the third time, even less so. The days were spinning away fast now, and on the fourth day without his face appearing, Jessie refused to rehearse at all. Instead she went back to the house, hoping to find him there. To her disappointment, he was nowhere to be found – although she wondered why she had bothered. She hadn't even seen Buzz around the house recently anyway.

Dropping her bag in the hallway, Jessie sank onto the stairs and buried her face in her hands. This was turning into a gigantic nightmare. Here she was, a university student, behind on the other students in her year, having to do extra tutoring as well as rehearsals for a stupid festival she hadn't even wanted to participate in from the start. And now her dance partner had attempted to kiss her and then run off on her without a word or a sighting of him for five days. Things couldn't get much worse, could they?

She sat up at the sound of a key in the lock, and froze when she saw it was Buzz. He didn't see her as he shut the door, but when he did finally turn, his gaze immediately landed on her. He coughed and walked past her, into the kitchen, and she watched him go. "Buzz?" She called, her voice irritated.

No response.

She got up. That was it.

She'd had enough of this crap.

"Buzz Lightyear, you better start talking to me, or else I am going to lose it!" she hollered, following him to the kitchen. From where he was standing, Buzz flicked his eyes up to the redhead now standing in the doorway.

"What the hell is going on, Buzz?" Jessie demanded hotly, but Buzz made no reply. "Oh, this is your usual pattern is it?" Jessie's temper was starting to go off the scale. "You kiss a girl, then make your excuses, run off without a word, and then don't speak to her for nearly a week, right?"

"No." Buzz said quietly. He opened a cupboard, but Jessie reached over and slammed it shut again, narrowly missing catching his fingers.

"It's THREE DAYS till the festival dance, Buzz. We are supposed to be REHEARSING!"

"I just...I'd rather not." Buzz said, turning away from her. Jessie stepped into the kitchen and grabbed his arm.

"You got me into this, Buzz. I'm in too deep to back out now."

He shook her hand off his arm. "No Jess. I shouldn't have started all this in the first place. It was wrong of me to force you into doing the dance, it was even more wrong of me to kiss you."

This sentence took the wind out of her sails. "Wrong of you to kiss me? But Buzz..." she trailed off, unable to finish. How could she tell him it was what she wanted?

"I should have remained professional at all times. I shouldn't have let my emotions get in the way of that dance." Buzz continued, as Jessie tried to make sense of everything,

"But..." she started, only to be silenced with a look.

"Woody wanted me to help you, Jessie. He wanted me to restore some of your confidence from your teens, and what do I do? I go and betray him by not doing that and into the bargain I kissed his sister."

Jessie stared at him. _Woody had put Buzz up to the whole business of lifting?_ A tear came to her eye as she remembered the times Woody had come to see her recitals in school. He'd even been there for her final high school recital in twelfth grade, when he parents couldn't make it. He'd driven her to the gala concert where the accident had happened, and he had been the one who had comforted her afterwards. After that concert, he hadn't come to any of the following ones, and she'd missed seeing him in the audience. But now, here he was trying to help her via Buzz.

"So where do we go from here, then?" She asked, the crude question hanging in the air between them as Buzz leaned on the counter, his back to her.

"I don't know." His voice was soft, and she found her sudden temper dwindling at his honesty. She wished she could turn the clock back. She'd really been enjoying their dancing. She'd enjoyed spending time with him, she felt like she learned so much just from a few short weeks in his company, and now he was trying to tear it all away from her.

"You told me to trust you, before it all happened, Buzz. Now it's my turn to say that to you. Trust me. Everything will be fine."

"How can it be? Nothing's the same anymore." Buzz turned to look at her forlornly, and she tried to stay strong.

"Yes it is. We're going to rehearse like we always do, and we are going to go to the festival." She said firmly. She suddenly realised she _did _want to perform, and she wanted to perform with _him_. "I'm not going to have you turning tail when we're so close." She could see him considering everything, and didn't think she'd have to push him to make the decision that mattered for both of them. But it was her only bargaining chip.

"Please Buzz. If you do, I'll at least consider the lift."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well..." Buzz hesitated and Jessie rolled her eyes. "C'mon. I was nowhere as near as difficult as this when you begged me to help you out."

This, at least, raised a smile from Buzz.


	12. The Main Event

**Chapter 12 – The Main Event**

_Note: I have no idea if the universities mentioned in this chapter even have dance courses. I just Googled for Texas based Universities and this is what I found : - )_

_Oh, and song used is E.T (Futuristic Lover) by Katy Perry. I don't own copyright. (but I love the song!)_

_

* * *

_

Woody tapped the steering wheel impatiently, staring at the road ahead filled with cars. "C'mon, would ya? Gonna be late," he muttered.

"Calm down." The voice besides him soothed him gently, and Woody turned to look at his companion with her arm in a sling.

"I'm sorry Bo. Just this is important to me. I haven't seen any of Jessie's dancing for the last couple of years and now she's performing for a large audience in an actual contest, I don't want to miss the beginning."

"There are at least five acts on before her and Buzz. Relax." Bo said calmly, and Woody exhaled.

"You're right. Sorry." He apologised again. Bo rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me hurt my other arm by smacking you for going on about being sorry." She warned him, and Woody subsided, continuing to tap his fingers on the wheel.

As they waited for the traffic to move, he thought about Jessie. She'd been very focused the last few days, rehearsing every spare moment with Buzz; they'd both been using the house as a base camp to come and eat, before rushing off back to campus to work on the dance. She hadn't invited Bo or himself to see the dance after rehearsal either, which was strange seeing as Buzz had invited him and Jessie to see the original dance before Bo's accident.

Woody now glanced at his companion, who was humming along to the track on the radio. He remembered what Jessie said about being 'gaga' for Bo. That wasn't exactly true. Things had been awkward between them for some time now. Whenever she looked at him, he felt his knees turn to mush, and then she'd bat her eyelashes at him to further reduce him to a wreck. He had no voice around her usually; the only reason he was even able to speak fluently at the moment was due to the irritation of perhaps missing the beginning of Jessie's dance.

The car horn behind him made him jump, and he realised the traffic was flowing at last.

* * *

They arrived to a large, buzzing, packed auditorium with a stage. They found their seats about seven rows back and settled down. The contest was already under way with the first act of the night, a duo from Baylor University, who were performing a lindy hop routine.

"It seems strange being in the audience," Bo confided to Woody as the first couple finished to rapturous applause. Woody merely nodded in reply, waiting for the compere to announce the next act.

But it wasn't Jessie yet. The next couple were from Concordia University, and they flounced their way through a salsa routine, to catcalls from the audience as the girl's skirt kept flying up. Woody wasn't impressed, and he glanced across at Bo, who was wearing a mirrored expression on her face. "I thought this was dancing, not a chance to show your legs," she muttered to Woody as the second pair finished their dance at long last.

The evening wore on slowly. The third team, from Midwestern University, pulled off a tap dance, followed by a fourth couplet from Southwestern University, who executed flamenco. Pairing five were from Schreiner University, undertaking an acro/gymnastics dance, and then...

"Ladies and gentleman, our next duo is from Lamar University, performing a modern dance with a twist." Woody sat up straight. This was it. The lights faded and he saw them getting into position in the middle of the stage. He couldn't wait. He was so excited.

* * *

She was so nervous. Jessie smoothed the red skirt of her costume and straightened her black unitard. Besides her, Buzz was wearing simply a green shirt and black trousers. He looked remarkably calm as they walked out together, and in contrast, Jessie could feel herself shaking.

This was possibly the biggest night of her life; bigger than all the other minor contests she'd been in before. She couldn't blow it. She grounded herself in the middle of the stage, Buzz standing behind her, and she closed her eyes briefly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The music began, and the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter.

_You're so hypnotizing__  
__Could you be the devil, could you be an angel__  
__Your touch magnetizing, feels like I am floating__  
__Leaves my body glowing_

Jessie swung her torso round in a circle, feeling Buzz's hands move to her hips. She let her hair fly wildly into her face, brushing it back as she leaned from side to side in time with the music. She felt her cheeks flush – whether it was nerves, or stage fright, or the crowd, or the fact that it was just him holding her, she didn't know.

_They say be afraid, you're not like the others__  
__Futuristic lover, different DNA__  
__They don't understand you_

As they broke apart, Jessie let her hands fly up as if she was scared of the 'alien'. She concentrated fiercely, working each step of the dance, this was the last time she'd dance it, and it had to be her best effort yet.

_You're from a whole other world__  
__A different dimension, you open my eyes__  
__And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light_

She let her hands fly around in large circles and then froze in place as Buzz performed some modern dance steps of his own. She allowed herself to glance up, and she gazed into the crowd, searching for her brother, her eyes roving over each row. He'd said he'd be there. But there wasn't time to spot him, she realised, flinging herself back into the dance.

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me_  
_Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison_  
_Take me, ta-ta-take me_  
_Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction_

_Boy, you're an alien_, y_our touch so foreign_  
_It's supernatural, extraterrestrial_

As the music continued, she knew what she had to do...this was where they would show the audience it was no ordinary dance. At 'kiss me' Jessie took two steps forward, bending over only to straighten up quickly. She remembered her choreography, staying still letting her arms fly upward for 'infect' and downwards for 'fill'. Another step back, and on 'take me' she performed a perfect ballet pirouette. She heard some members of the audience gasp and allowed a little smile to prick her mouth for a moment as she flung her arms into the air and then did a quick little sidestep, her feet overlapping as she moved . She had more work to do.

_You're so supersonic__  
__Wanna feel your powers__, s__tun me with your laser__  
__Your kiss is cosmic, every move is magic_

Jessie was stepping in a circle, and then let her steps overlap again as she walked back the way she had come towards Buzz. She stepped backwards again as Buzz pretended to stun her with a 'laser', and then did a small neat turn and held her footing there.

_You're from a whole other world__  
__A different dimension, you open my eyes__  
__And I'm ready to go__, l__ead me into the light_

Repeating her steps as before, Jessie took the chance again to look out into the audience, her eyes roving over rows of unfamiliar faces. She shivered, relapsing back to her teens when she'd been so scared after her accident. She was brought out of her trance as she suddenly spotted Woody in the crowd...and was that Bo besides him? Jessie didn't know she'd be coming, and suddenly felt wary of the older girl.

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me__  
__Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison__  
__Take me, ta-ta-take me__  
__Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction__  
__Boy, you're an alien, your touch so foreign__  
__It's supernatural, extraterrestrial_

Another repetition of steps now, and Jessie turned her attention away from the crowd and back to Buzz. Heaven only knew the last few days rehearsing hadn't been easy, but she was pretty sure they'd been able to work through their difficulties. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss in the rehearsal room, much as she had badly wanted to go back to that point in time and pull him close before he could get any second thoughts about running out. But what was done was done.

_There is this transcendental, on another level__  
__Boy, you're my lucky star__  
__I wanna walk on your wavelength, and be there when you vibrate__  
__For you I'll risk it all..._

As she held out her hand for Buzz to take, so they could walk in a circle, eyes level with each others; it struck Jessie how true the song lyrics were. She did want him to kiss her and infect her, take her away somewhere no one could find them. She felt unable to hold his gaze for a moment, her cheeks reddening at such thoughts, but willed herself to carry on.

_Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me__  
__Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison__  
__Take me, ta-ta-take me__  
__Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction_

She trusted him implicitly. As he circled her during her pirouette this time, she hissed under her breath.

"_Lift me." _

His look said it all, and she acknowledged his thought with a slight nod. They had been working on it, but she hadn't actually achieved anything near to a good lift in rehearsal the last three days. Her legs felt wobbly when he put her down after the lift, and one time she had nearly fallen over. But now, onstage, she suddenly felt her youth rushing back to her, wanted to impress the crowd. Wanted to please Buzz, and wanted to show her brother she wasn't afraid anymore.

_Boy, you're an alien, your touch so foreign__  
__It's supernatural, extraterrestrial__  
__Extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial_

As the final part of the song started she inhaled heavily, dancing towards Buzz, who was getting into the correct position for the lift. On the second 'extraterrestrial' she was right in front of him, and he reached out to grab her, lifting her straight up as she grabbed his wrists. She kept her head held high, keeping her back straight and extended her legs – just like Mr Applegate had instructed when they'd asked him for help.

_Boy, you're an alien, your touch so foreign__  
__It's supernatural, extraterrestrial_

She touched back down onto the ground, the blood rushing to her face. They'd done a lift. _She'd_ done a lift! She couldn't believe it, but she had no time to celebrate. As the final moments of the song played out, she twirled herself back into Buzz's arms, and he caught her there, tipping her back over his arm as the song finished.

As she stood to take her bow with Buzz alongside her, all Jessie could hear was the rapt applause of the audience. Wildly her eyes searched for her brother, and found him, just before Buzz led her off into the wings.

Woody was standing up, clapping hell for leather, and she let a gentle smile wash over her face.

She'd done him proud.


	13. Feelings

**Chapter 13 - Feelings**

The next three dances passed in a blur for Woody. He was over the moon to have seen his sister dance so perfectly, even Bo had been smiling at the end of the number. "She's a credit to your family, Woody," the blonde had whispered as he'd sat back down, and he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

At the end of the dances, the compere came on to inform everyone that the results were being tallied. Woody turned to Bo. "How are they even judging this thing?"

Bo pointed to the small booth to the side of the stage. "See those people over there?" - Woody craned his neck to see - "They're the judges. They're professional dancers and they mark according to movement, execution, attire, and presentation." She frowned. "Hopefully that Concordia bitch will get marked down for showing off what Mother Nature blessed her with."

Woody chuckled. "I don't think I've ever seen you so fiery, Bo."

She turned blue eyes on him and his bolshy reserve was lost. "Fiery? You like fiery, Woody?"

"Well, I, uh, ah, uhm...that is..." Woody tugged at the collar of his shirt and Bo grinned, leaning across to pat his arm with the hand not bunched up in the sling.

"Did I ever tell you that you're cute?"

This completely took Woody by surprise. "Me?"

"Yeah, you, history geek." Bo smiled. "I think it's cute the way you always look out for your sister, you support her in everything she does, and you come to her concerts and recitals."

"Well...I'm family, it's only right," Woody fidgeted just as Bo reached up and pecked him on the cheek. He stuttered, drawing his hand up to touch where she'd kissed him. "Bo?"

"Hmm?" She sat back in her seat. "You think I haven't forgotten the night in the club?"

Woody blushed. "I know I haven't. My nickname speaks for itself."

Bo laughed. "Your friends were mean to give you such a name."

Woody shrugged. "Tell me about it. Unfortunately I have to live with it."

"Only until University is out. Then you can go back to being who you were before this whole business."

"That's still another year away. Besides, you know I'll still be friends with Buzz after University, Bo."

"Maybe you could persuade him to stop as well. It's not like his own nickname is much better." Bo rolled her eyes.

Woody sighed. "Perhaps. But you don't know Buzz. He doesn't forget easily."

* * *

'_Forget about it.'_ Buzz muttered to himself. He was pacing in the dressing room backstage while Jessie had popped to the bathroom, complaining of a stomach-ache. No doubt her nerves had gotten the better of her at last.

He couldn't believe they'd achieved a dance, complete with lift, onstage in front of so many people.

He couldn't believe they'd made it through the last three days without an argument.

And he still couldn't believe he'd kissed her.

'_What a moron,' _he frowned to himself. Why on earth had he decided to do the rehearsal for the slow song? Why had he pulled her so close, knowing how he adored her? And why hadn't she pulled away? Surely she couldn't be as interested in him as he was in her.

'_Maybe she just got caught up in the moment,'_ he reasoned, sinking into a chair to mull it over. This was Jessie, his best friend's sister. And there he was, having romantic thoughts about her. It felt taboo, like he was going against everything his friendship with Woody stood for. That was why he'd walked out on her that afternoon – as he'd told Jessie, it felt like a betrayal to Woody's good trust in him. After all he'd promised Woody, to look after Jessie, to restore her old feelings about dance, and he had, somewhat. But there was the niggling feeling that he'd done that...and more besides.

'_Get a grip, Buzz,_' he scolded himself. But the niggling feeling remained. Jessie had come around to lifts and their performance had been good. He'd felt at one with the music, felt at one with her. And she'd performed as she should have done. And it had all happened after the kiss...the kiss...

He bit his lip. Maybe it wasn't his imagination. Maybe...maybe it was what they'd needed...what _she'd_ needed to conquer her fear. If she trusted him, as he'd wanted her to, and they were spending a lot of time together, and to be honest he knew her quite well already...what was the harm in kissing her after all? A shiver raced up his spine just thinking about it. Jessie, infatuated with him? There was no way.

He sat up straighter as the door opened and Jessie came in. He stowed all romantic, kiss filled thoughts to the back of his head and stood up, walking over to her. "You okay?"

She nodded, looking queasy. "It just all overcame me. All the excitement bubbling to the top, the nerves, the whole caboodle." She walked towards a chair and sat down slowly, before turning emerald eyes on him. "But I've never had so much fun dancing in my life. Thank you...Buzz."

She reached out to grip his hand and a shock moved up his arm. He thought back suddenly to the afternoon at the Pride's house with Jessie in the garden under the sprinklers. The emerald eyes she'd turned on him were the same ones she turned on him now. The ones of interest, of adoration.

"Jessie?" He started, and she continued to gaze up at him.

"Yeah?"

He was about to speak when the door opened and one of the production assistants poked her head around. "Hi guys, time to go onstage to hear the results."

Jessie jumped up as the assistant disappeared. "This is it!" She jumped on the spot a couple of times, and Buzz grinned at her.

"I thought you weren't feeling well."

"Well, schmell! C'mon, we've got a trophy to claim!" She giggled excitedly.

It was then that he noticed her hand was still in his, and he blushed furiously. If this was a taboo, then it had a nice feeling to go with it.


	14. The Results

**Chapter 14 – The Results**

Moments later, hidden in the wings, Buzz wrapped an arm around Jessie's waist, as she stood, shivering, next to him. Her nerves were getting the better of her all too often, he realised, looking down at the petite redhead, who noticed his gaze and looked back at him. Her eyes shone with excitement still, and she gave him a funny little smile.

"This is so nerve racking!" She whispered, and he laughed softly, hugging her closer to him, noting how her arm slipped around the middle of his back. His heart thumped in his chest at the simple touch.

"You're telling me," he muttered to himself, tearing his gaze from her with difficulty. He forced himself to listen to what the compere was saying.

* * *

"...for the purposes of tonight's contest, our four judges will be marking according to movement, attire, execution, and presentation. Scores in any category are a maximum of ten, and so the highest points any couple can achieve is thereby forty points."

There was a pause and a ripple passed through the waiting audience. Woody sat forward in his seat, listening intently.

"Without further ado, the results, in no specific order." The compere announced. "Baylor; movement, 6, attire, 6, execution, 7, and presentation, 7. Total, 26."

"Concordia; movement, 7, attire, 2, execution, 6, presentation, 6. Total, 21."

[Bo nudged Woody. "Told you they'd be marked down for that awful dress!"]

"Midwestern; movement, 5, attire, 7, execution, 7, presentation, 5. Total, 24."

"Southwestern; movement, 7, attire, 8, execution, 6, presentation, 7. Total, 28."

"Schreiner; movement, 6, attire, 8, execution, 8, presentation, 7. Total, 29."

The judge paused and Jessie clutched at Buzz tighter. In the audience, Bo leaned forward, slipping her hand into Woody's. _This was it._

"Lamar; movement, 8, attire, 7, execution, 9, presentation, 8."

Besides Buzz, Jessie gave a little squeal. That was a good score. They waited for the total with bated breath.

"Total, 32."

_Thirty two?_ It was better than Buzz could have dreamed of! They were eight points outside the top most score, and there were only three schools to be announced!

The compere rushed on. "Wayland; movement, 5, attire, 8, execution, 7, presentation, 7. Total, 27."

Buzz could feel the heat rising up his face. They couldn't fail now.

"Brownsville; movement, 7, attire, 7, execution, 7, presentation, 8. Total, 29."

He felt Jessie wrap her other arm around him, and blushed furiously. If they won, he'd probably snatch her up right there and then and kiss her...

"And finally, Trinity. Movement, 9, attire, 7, execution, 8, presentation, 9. Total, 33."

There was a delighted scream from across the wing and Buzz's hopes faded. Thirty three? One point in it?

* * *

In the audience, amongst the cheering Trinity students, Woody turned to Bo. "I don't remember watching them. Were they any good?"

Bo nodded sorrowfully. "They were pretty good. Nothing amazing...but...they were good, I guess. They must have been, in order for them to win."

She saw Woody's shoulders slump. "Hey...it's okay. Lamar placed second. That's a big achievement, for a contest like this."

But Woody wasn't listening. He simply wondered how Buzz and Jessie must be feeling.

Then he realised Bo's hand was still in his, turning to look at the blonde, who threw him a shy smile.

* * *

In the wings, Jessie had removed her arm from Buzz, and he felt a pang of sadness that it was all over. She voiced his thoughts aloud.

"I guess thats it then. Back to normal huh?"

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

She regarded him for a moment then slipped both her small hands into his. "I thought I'd hate dancing with a partner, Buzz. I thought I'd hate being in front of a crowd, thought something scary would happen. But you brought me through it. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for that."

He tugged at her hands, bringing her close to him. "Just dancing with you was enough, Jess."

She bit her lip and pulled away. "I should go change. Woody and Bo will be wanting to know where we are."

"Yeah..." he agreed a second time, following her from the wings, the ringing of the cheering and applause for the contest's winners, Trinity, echoing in the background.


	15. Back To Basics

**Chapter 15 – Back to Basics**

_Sorry for the delay. Real life seriously got in the way. Suffice to say, its been a long week._

_Note: Song used is Britney Spears' Crazy. I don't own copyright, yada yada.

* * *

_

Buzz and Jessie's return to the university campus was marked with the applause of the dance students as they walked the halls. Those that couldn't be present at the contest had heard about missing out so narrowly to Trinity, and so for many days after the event, Buzz and Jessie heard nothing but commiserations and the like for the sorry state of affairs.

As the weeks wore on, the contest was forgotten in the wake of the exams and final essays. Woody was back to the grindstone, working hard on history papers and his endless exams. Buzz was waylaid with language papers, as well as spoken tests. Bo, her arm fully healed by now, went back into gymnastics and took on minor roles in her classes. Jessie, of course, went back into rehearsals with her classmates for their dance routine, as Buzz had seen her practising all that time ago.

They saw very little of each other during the days that passed, until Woody caught Buzz on the way to his language exam.

"Buzz? You got a minute?" he called, and Buzz, stuffing a pile of papers into his locker, looked around.

"I need to get to class, Woody. There's an important lecture prior to the exam that I have to be sure to make."

"This'll only take a second, Buzz," Woody leaned against the wall as Buzz continued to fumble in his locker. "Are you coming Friday night?"

"Friday night?" Buzz queried, retrieving a textbook from the mess in the locker.

"Yeah. Jessie's final recital for the term, it's Friday night."

"So soon? She didn't say a word to me about it," Buzz said, shutting the locker and turning his attention to Woody again.

"Well, I don't think any of us have had any time for the other recently. You are coming, right?"

"I'll try," Buzz said weakly, and Woody rolled his eyes.

"Is that seriously the best you can do for my little sister and your dance partner?"

Buzz sighed. Woody was really good for the old guilt trips, he'd give him that. "I don't know what I'm doing Friday night."

"I do. You're going to be at that dance, Buzz. I'll save you a seat," Woody said flatly, turning and walking off before Buzz could stop him.

* * *

Buzz wrestled with his conscience for the entire lecture, barely paying any attention except to scribble down a few notes every now and then. He'd thought about Jessie non-stop; even though they lived under the same roof he never saw her. She kept late evenings and was still in bed when he went out to class – they were total opposites for time keeping.

Still, next term would be better. He'd be a third year student, and he could throw himself into the main work of his languages course.

She could go her way, and he could go his.

She could excel at dance, and he'd be a language major.

Maybe she'd make other friends and move out, and he wouldn't see her.

He'd never see her pretty red hair, or her emerald eyes.

He'd never hold her like he wanted to.

His heart lurched.

* * *

On Friday night the school auditorium was awash with parents and students alike, all grabbing seats and chattering prior to the first years dance recital show. Woody and Bo had managed to find seats on the aisle, and Bo had put her bag on a chair besides her.

"He better be here," Woody muttered to himself as they sat down amongst the throng of people and Bo turned to him.

"Who?"

"Buzz."

"Buzz? Why would Buzz be here?" Bo said in astonishment.

"Because I asked him to come, for Jessie's sake."

"For Jessie?"

"Bo. She's my little sister, his dance partner – no offence to you – and we all live together, not to mention we've known each other for years. It would be wrong of him to stay away, wouldn't it?"

Bo shifted in her seat. "I suppose."

Woody was about to say something further when the lights dimmed and the crowd rippled, seats scraping on the floor as everyone settled down to watch. Silence fell as the first dances of the evening were performed. Woody watched with only half his concentration, the other half torn between wondering how Jessie was, and where Buzz was.

Besides him, he noticed Bo giving the dancing her full attention; only once did she glance across to look at him, throwing him another of her quiet smiles. He was toying with the idea of wrapping a arm around her shoulders after one particular dance when a shadow fell across where they were sitting, and he looked up to see Buzz next to Bo, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Buzz! You made it." Woody checked his watch and Bo took her bag off the seat next to her. "Could have kept an eye on the time though. You're forty minutes late."

The lights dimmed again and Bo shushed him. "Will you just watch, Woody? We're going to miss the dancing."

Chastised, Woody sat back with a look in Buzz's direction, as if to say 'you haven't heard the last of this'.

Buzz too, settled back in his seat on the other side of Bo and began to watch the first year dance students trickle on in pairs and groups to perform. He was anxiously awaiting Jessie's appearance, and finally, he was rewarded as the lights dimmed between performances and the curtain rose to reveal five figures. As the music started, the girls started dancing to the beat. Buzz noticed Jessie instantly at the back, in her red unitard and black leggings.

_Baby, I'm so into you__  
__You got that something, what can I do__  
__Baby, you spin me around__  
__The Earth is moving, but I can't feel the ground__  
__Every time you look at me__  
__My heart is jumping, it's easy to see_

_You drive me crazy__  
__I just can't sleep__  
__I'm so excited, I'm in too deep__  
__Oh crazy, but it feels alright__  
__Baby, thinking of you keeps me up all night_

Watching her dance, Woody marvelled at how far his sister's dancing skills had improved since he'd last seen her. He hadn't really had time at the festival to notice it, but looking at her in her natural surroundings rather than displaced at a venue they hadn't known, it occurred to him that his little sister wasn't little anymore – she was grown up and making her way in dance like she'd always wanted to.

He glanced at Bo. Maybe that was why he was so attracted to her. After the incident in the club a year or so ago, and then having her around because of Buzz's own dancing, he'd grown fond of her. Not gaga, as Jessie put it, but enough to warrant wanting more. He'd never seen Bo dance, but he didn't need to. He liked her enough without having to. He thought about when she'd slipped her hand into his at the festival, and blushed to himself, turning his attention back to Jessie, who was still working her way through her moves onstage.

The dance finished; the applause began, and the five girls took their bow and walked offstage. In the audience no one clapped harder than Woody. The show wore on for another thirty minutes or so, and after the performances were over, the audience began to file out. Woody stayed sitting even when Bo and Buzz started to get up. He turned to them in surprise.

"Where are you guys going? Jessie's coming out afterwards to see us. I told her I'd be here. I want to congratulate her."

"Can't you do that at home?" Buzz asked, and Woody shook his head.

"No. I always congratulate her straight after. It's a tradition."

Buzz rolled his eyes and sat down again, not wanting to be caught trying to hide his blushes in front of Woody and Bo, but it seemed like he had no choice. Next to him, Bo flopped down on the seat next to him, fiddling with the zipper on her jacket. They waited for a few minutes, and at length, Jessie appeared on the stage, coming down the stairs slowly, blinking into the dim light of the auditorium, then running down the aisle when she spotted her brother.

"Woody!" She jumped on him as he stood, and he laughed, twirling his sister in his arms. "You came, you came to see me! Oh my gosh, did you like it? Did you see me?"

"We did," Woody said, as Bo rose from her seat to join him.

"Bo!" Jessie grasped at the blonde's wrists, "You were here too! You saw me?"

"I did," Bo confirmed with a small laugh. "You were really good."

Jessie beamed, and Woody gestured to Buzz. "I brought someone else to watch too."

Jessie glanced round as Buzz stood up too, her jaw dropping. "Buzz! What...what are you doing here?" her voice turned into a whisper, and Buzz smiled.

"Came to see you dance, of course. You were amazing."

Jessie flushed red, going shy. "Aw, I was okay. "

"No, I mean it. It's like all the other times I saw you dance rolled into one."

There was a prickle of electricity in the atmosphere, and Woody sensed it was time to move on.

"We'll wait for you in the car, Jess. I'll bring it round out front. Don't be long." He took Bo's hand, and tugged the blonde away, leaving Jessie alone with Buzz in the deserted auditorium. She turned to him as the door banged shut. She racked her brain for what to say. Finally she settled on a topic and forced the words from her mouth.

"I...I wasn't expecting you to come...I thought it was over."

"It's never over, Jess." She flicked her eyes up to his as he stepped forward. "I wanted to ask you something." He'd been contemplating the thought since that day in his language lecture.

She blinked, and fiddled with her hair, looking down. "What's that?" Her heart was pounding.

"I was wondering if..." Buzz started, and she finished the sentence in her head.

"_...if you'd go out with me..."_

"...well, you know there's...uhm..."

Not as perfect as she'd expected.

..."I mean, there's a dance...it's uh, the second year's end of year ball, thing, uhm, they have them every year, there's one for the first years too, but you're like nearly in second year now and..." Buzz stammered eventually.

"How can I go to a second year dance?" Jessie giggled, not understanding. Then she twigged. "Oh!"

"Yeah." Buzz blushed. "I was wondering if you might want to go as my date. I don't really want to go stag, Woody's taking Bo and I didn't want to be the gooseberry so I just kind of hoped you might say yes."

Jessie's heart overflowed and she needed no time for thinking it over. "I'd love to."


	16. At the Hop

**Chapter 16 – At the Hop**

_Jessie's dress: http: / www. camdendrive. com/ media/ / resized/ sexy-long-silver-high-low-prom-dress-c1125-f_size2. Jpg_

_Jessie's corsage: http:/ ny-image1. etsy. com/ il_155x125. 74875589. Jpg_

_Bo's dress: http:/ www. okbbaru. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2009/ 08/ pink-prom-dress-6. jpg_

_(remember to remove spaces)_

* * *

In the week that followed, Buzz had time to get increasingly nervous, as did Jessie. Their schedules, despite the term nearly being over, were still not on a par to either of their likings. It wasn't until the actual day of the second year ball that Buzz saw Jessie at all.

He knew she'd gone shopping with Bo to buy a dress for the dance, and otherwise knew very little. He found it odd that Woody should be taking Bo; he'd never seen any chemistry between them and Bo had never talked of him. She'd never been very open with him though – she came, she danced with him, and then she left, and that was as far as it went.

So the evening of the dance, dressed in a formal suit, he waited downstairs for Jessie. Woody had left a half hour ago to pick up Bo, so he was alone in his musings as he waited. About fifteen minutes into his various ponderings about what the evening might hold, he noticed a movement on the stairs and glanced up.

Coming down the stairs was Jessie, wearing in a long flowing silver dress that bunched up a little at the front. She wore flat beige shoes with it, and he noticed how the outfit accentuated her slim dancer's legs. As she reached the bottom of the staircase, he came to greet her, his eyes roving over her shapely figure.

"Jess. You look...gorgeous," he whispered, and she flushed pink, to his surprise. There was a pause until he noticed she was holding a little box in her hand. "What's that?" He indicated to it, and she glanced down.

"Oh. This...this is..." she coughed, and raised it up a little towards him. "This is something I got you. Kind of a thank you present as well as for tonight."

Puzzled, Buzz accepted the box and opened it. Inside nestled a boutonniere - a simple red rose with a stem of baby's breath.

"Jess..." No other words came out of his mouth.

"Here," she ignored his demeanour and pulled the flower out of the box, pinning it onto his lapel. He watched her as she concentrated on attaching it at the correct angle, then stepped back and smiled at him. "There. Perfect."

He touched the rose briefly and looked at her. "Thanks."

She folded her hands together in front of her, "You're welcome."

A silence passed between them again, but it was not uncomfortable. Buzz only broke it by remembering what he'd brought her. Stepping back to the hall table, he grabbed the box there, and passed it to her.

"I got you, something, uh, too."

She accepted the box from him now and opened it, letting out a little sigh as she saw what was in it. She pulled the corsage from the box, a pretty white anemone on a wristband.

"Oh Buzz. It's beautiful."

He stepped across to help her put it on, fiddling with the tie, his fingers brushing her skin ever so slightly a few times. He noticed her cheeks get pinker, and he wondered if she really was as attracted to him, as he'd dared to let himself hope the last few times he'd pictured this moment.

He covered his awkward thoughts by offering her his arm. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Across town at campus, Woody had just made it into the dance hall with Bo, who had come in a strapless pink dress, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. She wore a corsage of pink on her dress, and Woody had a small white rose fastened to the lapel of his suit jacket.

They stood awkwardly together by the stairwell for a few moments, as Woody worried aloud about some of his second year friends seeing them together.

"They're going to recognise you, Bo. They'll start on about risings and stuff from all that time ago. Oh this was a bad idea, we shouldn't have come..." he rabbited on, and Bo put her hand on his arm.

"Shh. It'll be fine."

"It's not, Bo, I cant spend the whole evening hiding from them."

"So instead you'd rather hide from me for the rest of your life?" Bo said sharply, and Woody looked at her. "You'd rather spoil this chance to show me your affection than parade me on your arm?"

"No..." Woody said slowly, taking her hand. "I'd give anything to have you nearby, Bo."

"So then let's dance," Bo said simply, leaning to kiss his cheek. "There's no shame in that."

* * *

It was another half an hour until Buzz and Jessie arrived at the dance. On entering the hall, Jessie peered around, trying to see if she could spot Woody. She wondered how he was getting on with Bo. She could only hope he hadn't blown it with her by getting too amorous. She remembered the first time he'd made a pass at the blonde; he'd grudgingly related the story to her. A second mistake could only spell death for any lingering affection that might still remain.

"You want some punch?" Buzz asked, starting to steer her in the direction of the buffet table, laden with cups, drink and nibbles.

"Sure." It might help calm her nerves about coming to the dance, after all. Accepting the cup he passed her, she sipped at the drink slowly, casting her eyes around again, hoping to spot her brother. Buzz noticed her gaze and misinterpreted it.

"Jess, relax. No one's going to mind you being here. You're with me."

_How could she tell Buzz that Woody was on her mind, not what a good time she was having being his date? _ Jessie wondered. Instead, "I know," was all she offered in response.

"Come on. Take your mind off it." Buzz took the cup she grasped between her fingers and put it on the table. "Let's dance." He swept her away from the table and onto the brightly lit dance floor. Despite her worries, Jessie allowed herself to dance, throwing herself into that and pushing thoughts of Woody to one side. She was with Buzz, after all, and she always enjoyed dancing with him, didn't she?

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, in the middle of dancing, Woody spotted a redhead who looked strikingly similar to his sister. He leaned over to Bo, whispering in her ear, and she agreed.

"You're right, it does. I don't recall seeing anyone around that..." she trailed off as she looked over the dance floor, and Woody noticed her face change.

"What?" He turned to look again, and noticed it _was_ his sister.

"Jessie? What's she doing at a second year dance? I thought she was going to the first year dance..." he started, and Bo nodded.

"She told me that too."

Woody was about to walk over when he noticed Jessie's partner come over and grab her hand, spinning her wildly as she shrieked in laughter.

It was Buzz.

_Buzz?_

He was going to kill him.

* * *

It was later, after three more dances, that Jessie retired, with Buzz at her side, to some seats placed on the outside of the hall. The night was breezy but warm, and there were several other couples milling around outside too.

"Did that take your mind off it?" Buzz asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they sat together.

"Yeah." She realised he was touching her, and allowed herself to shiver. Mistaking it for being cold, he gathered her closer in his arms, and in order to steady herself at the hug, she found her hand resting on his knee. As she looked up, she noticed he was looking at her. Instantly and on impulse, she put her free hand up on the back of his neck, and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in a kiss that seared like fire through her, and she knew this time that she would refuse to let him pull away.

When they broke apart they remained inches from each other, each waiting for the other to react further. But there was no reaction until Jessie closed the gap between them, kissing him a second time. This time she felt him respond in urgency, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"Buzz," she breathed, as she broke away completely afterwards, sliding back a little on her seat.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me." He murmured, and she shifted in place.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me, either," she whispered, "until you kissed me."

"You kissed me," he pointed out, referring to their kiss a few moments ago, but Jessie shook her head.

"I mean the kiss in the rehearsal that time..."

Buzz was startled. "You mean, that time..."

"Yeah, I didn't want you to pull away," she finished for him, looking down at her lap, and he grinned.

"Aw Jess, why didn't you say something?"

"I wanted to. But I was afraid you'd reject me. Tell me it was a mistake; that you didn't mean it. And after our talk in the kitchen I thought it best to concentrate on the dance and just get through things with as little discussion about it as possible."

"You know I wouldn't have rejected you, Jess." Buzz murmured in her ear, and she nodded.

"I do now..." she breathed in return as he kissed her cheek sweetly.

* * *

From the doorway nearby, Woody had seen everything. He'd managed to excuse himself from Bo, who was talking with some of the other gymnastics students in their year, needing some air to recover from the shock of seeing Buzz with Jessie. While the air had helped to begin with, nothing could have prepared him for further seeing what took place in front of his eyes.

Rage crept up inside him. His sister and his best friend? He wondered how long it had been going on behind his back, neither of them saying a word. _And why hadn't either of them told him they were intent on coming to the ball together?_

In any case, he'd trusted Buzz to help Jessie, not seduce her. He'd told Buzz personal things about Jessie he should never have said in the first place, they were sibling secrets.

What of Jessie? She was supposed to be concentrating on what she wanted to make of herself, not sneaking around, how she'd used to as a teenager when they were both still living at home.

And Bo...perhaps Bo had faked her injury under instruction from Buzz, so that he could seek out and take on Jessie.

_They were all deceiving him_, he thought angrily. Leaving the pair outside to whatever it was they were up to, he stormed back through the dance hall, and made his way outside to the car, without speaking to Bo at all.


	17. Accusations of the Wrong Kind

**Chapter 17 - Accusations of the Wrong Kind**

It had been a fabulous night, Buzz thought, pulling Jessie into the house, kissing her. He felt a little drunk - maybe someone had copiously spiked the punch; he'd heard that could happen sometimes at university dances. Jessie didn't seem to be able to handle alcohol too well either, he'd had to pretty much steady her the whole way up the path. She shrieked quietly as he pressed her to the wall, and he laid a finger over her lips. "Shh, fairy dancer," he chuckled.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to sway him, "Dance with me like you did when we slow danced," she whispered, then hiccupped, making him laugh. He wrapped his arms around her, running his hands up and down her back, and started to sway along with her, her giggles increasing in pitch as he swung her back and forth, round and round.

He was mad about her, didn't think this would ever happen to him, she was all he cared about right now. She clung to him, burying her head in his chest as he pulled her along with him into the den. He didn't bother to switch on the light; instead he sat on the sofa, dragging her with him onto his lap. She wrapped her arms back around him as he sat back, his fingers tracing over the seams of her dress. They kissed hotly for a few minutes, before the rude interruption of the overhead light snapping on full glare.

Disturbed, Buzz looked around and Jessie rested her head on his shoulder lazily, as he sobered up on seeing Woody glaring at them from the doorway.

"Would someone mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?" Woody demanded, looking first at Buzz, and then Jessie, who slipped off Buzz's lap at the sound of Woody's voice, another small hiccup escaping her.

"Jessie, are you drunk? Buzz, you got her drunk?" Woody flung the accusation straight out into the air with no pause and Buzz, now angered, stood up.

"I haven't done a thing to her, Woody."

"Oh no, nothing at all, that's why you were kissing in the dark, right? So I wouldn't notice? What is it with you two keeping secrets?" Woody demanded further, and Buzz looked confused. Woody carried on, "You thought I wouldn't find out about you two if you kept away from me? Kept the secret between you? How long's it been going on, Buzz?"

Buzz was more confused now than ever. He looked at Jessie. "I thought you told him."

Jessie shrugged and Buzz turned back to Woody, to find the dark haired student right in front of him giving him a hard shove. "Is this what you do to friends, huh? You like taking things from me, do you, Buzz? You want to take Bo back, too? I mean, you've been dancing with her the last two years, keeping her away from me, but sure, why not steal Jessie too?"

"Now just a minute-" Buzz started to defend himself, but Woody's attention had gone from him to his sister.

"And what did you think you were doing, Jessie?" He yelled, "You're just going to walk in here and jump on the first guy that takes all your attention, because of some stupid festival? You're going to just let him kiss you just because he's taken you to some dance?"

"You were watching us?" Jessie hollered, and Buzz covered his ears in shock, turning to see Jessie on her feet, the effects of the alcohol obviously not as substantial as he'd thought originally. "How dare you tell me what to do and who I can see? I _want_ to be with Buzz, Woody. I like him!"

"You _like _him?" Woody yelled back, and Buzz started to feel like he was in the middle of a tennis match. "You've not clapped an eye on him for years and now all of a sudden you like him?"

"This is why I didn't tell you he was my date!" Jessie screamed, "You're so overprotective!" Woody was silenced as his sister glowered at him. "You always think you know what's best for me, but I'm a grown up now, I make my own decisions!"

"Grown up? You're barely eighteen!" Woody pointed out, his voice still raised in anger.

Jessie stared at her brother incredulously, and in the silence that followed, there was a knocking on the front door. Buzz, needing to escape the situation in the den, moved to answer it, and while he was gone, Woody paced to the window. Jessie sat back down on the sofa, pulling her dress straight.

A few moments later a pink hurricane swept into the room, Buzz in pursuit of it.

"How DARE you strand me at the dance!"

Woody turned, to see Bo, looking as glamorous as he remembered in her pink dress. But his thoughts of her were tainted when he thought about the whole contrived situation.

"You better have a good explanation for it," Bo went on, folding her arms angrily, and Buzz couldn't stop the words coming out of his mouth.

"You left your date at the dance?"

"Stay out of it, Buzz." Woody said flatly, and looked back at Bo. "You gonna tell me first how bad the sprain was?"

"The sprain? My arm?" Bo questioned, and Woody rolled his eyes.

"Of course your arm. Or was it a made up injury?"

"Made up?" Bo's eyes were wide. "You mean you think I...oh Woody Pride, you are TOO much!" Her voice went up an octave. "There I was, with my arm in a sling, worried about the festival for Buzz, not to mention the reputation of our school, and yet all you can do is stand there and accuse me of faking the injury?"

Woody was silent at Bo's outburst. "You mean you...didn't?"

"Of course I didn't!" Bo shouted. "I was trodden on during a gymnastics class. Everyone knows that. There was nothing made up about it."

"So these two...it wasn't to get them closer together..." Woody asked feebly and Bo shook her head.

"It saddens me that you think I would stoop so low to come up with a fake injury. Festival or no festival." She took a step away from Woody, her eyes still on him. "And there I was, thinking you were a good, supportive brother, willing to let your sister's happiness come first. I guess I was wrong." She flicked her eyes to Jessie, who was sitting on the sofa watching the exchange.

"Jess, I hope you'll be happy. Buzz is a good person, I should know, I've been studying dance with him two years." A wry smile came over her face. "I know you've known him a lot longer than me, but you picked a good egg." She stepped across to pat Buzz's arm, then threw Woody a cold glance. "I'll see myself out."

As she walked out of the room, the silence fell again. Then the bang of the front door was heard, and she was no more.


	18. Plotting

**Chapter 18 - Plotting**

_Note: Before I get any comments going "omg you update fast!" over the last few chapters, I've actually had the base of the chapters down for a while, it was just a matter of actually fleshing it out more. : - )_

_Oh, and content rating changed to T. This was not originally planned, but...hey, I can't help myself. It's only a little part of the chapter, anyway._

* * *

"Well, now you've done it," Jessie remarked, as Woody dropped into the armchair with his head in his hands. He made no response, and Buzz came to sit on the arm of the sofa. No one said anything further, until Buzz felt he had to smooth things over.

"Woody, I don't know what you thought, but I wasn't trying to steal Jessie away. Or Bo, for that matter."

"I know," Woody mumbled. His voice was muffled. "But you could have said something."

"I thought Jessie was telling you, Woody, honestly I did. I asked her to be my date the night of her final recital at university." He glanced at Jessie as he spoke. "I thought you knew. I wouldn't have dreamed of trying to pull the wool over your eyes."

"I'm sorry too, Woody," Jessie broke in. "I just...I was afraid of how you'd react. You always hated my boyfriends in high school. I didn't want you to judge me for wanting to be with Buzz."

"How could I judge you for wanting to be with Buzz, Jess?" Woody finally looked up, straight at her. "My sister and my best friend. I couldn't find anything wrong with it even if I wanted to."

At Jessie's stare, he went on, "It was such a shock to me when I saw you dancing together at the ball. I thought the dance at the festival was just a dance, but now I see it was something else entirely...it was a dance based on how close you two had become. You did a lift, Jess. I couldn't imagine you doing that with anyone, other than someone you trust right down to your core."

"I do trust him, Woody." She was saying it out loud now, rather than just to herself. "And I like it when you're happy for me, just in future, try to be happy for me in other areas rather than just my dance skills."

"I'll try," Woody promised softly, and Jessie's face wore a smile once more.

* * *

They each retired to separate rooms afterwards, Buzz bidding Jessie goodnight at her doorway with a soft kiss. He had just entered his own room, and had taken off his shirt plus suit jacket, when there was a tapping on his door. He walked across the room, puzzled, and opened it a tad to see Jessie outside, still in her silver dress.

"Buzz." She fidgeted on the spot, and he opened the door a little more. "I have a problem."

"What?" He asked, leaning his forearm on the door in amusement at her skittishness.

"I can't get the zipper on my dress undone. Woody did it up for me earlier...but I don't want to disturb him..."

He laughed. "Okay, okay, turn around."

She did so and he opened the door fully, stepping forward and undoing the zipper gently, not wanting to rip the material. With it all the way open, he pressed his lips together, trying not to stare at her bare back. She turned back around, hugging her arms around her to keep the dress from falling down. "Thanks."

Her eyes were lingering on him, flicking down, to his face, and then back down again...and he suddenly remembered his previous disrobement...and that he wasn't wearing any clothes on his torso. Before he knew what was happening, her hands were on his pectorals as she pushed him back into the room, letting go of her dress as it slid to the floor, and her mouth hungrily finding his.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Buzz sat next to Jessie as she lounged at the table reading a magazine whilst spooning cereal into her mouth. He was playing with her hair, the two of them snuggled together.

"I didn't know you were so spontaneous," he whispered and she smiled, continuing to read.

"Neither did I."

"I guess you'll be going back home for the summer, then?"

"Yeah," she still didn't look up, her spoon halfway to her mouth as she pored over an article.

"Is Woody?"

"Yeah."

"I wonder what he's going to do about Bo."

"Mmm." Jessie continued to spoon cereal into her mouth.

"It is an awful shame."

"Yeah."

"And I guess gorillas might fly to space," Buzz added cheekily.

"Why not," Jessie returned idly.

Buzz chuckled. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yep."

"What did I say, then?" Buzz asked, and Jessie dropped her spoon into the now empty bowl with a clank.

"You said something about gorillas going back to space in the summer with Woody and that the whole thing with Bo is an awful shame."

Buzz laughed. "Close enough." He paused, watching Jessie as she got up and moved to put her bowl in the sink. "Do you think maybe they'll get over it?"

"I don't know," Jessie returned, leaning against the counter in thought. "You know Bo better than I do."

"I know _you_ better than Bo," Buzz pointed out with a sly smile, and Jessie blushed as red as her hair.

"I'm serious, Buzz. There has to be a way we can help them get it together. I mean, she's the first girl he liked at University, probably the first one ever that he was really crazy about."

"Not the only one he's made a fool of himself in front of, if high school was anything to go by," Buzz added with a grin, and Jessie laughed.

"I wasn't aware my brother had a history when it came to the ladies."

Buzz stopped for a moment and Jessie could see him mulling over something.

"What?" She asked, and he frowned, beckoning her nearer. They talked in hushed voices for a moment and then Jessie stood back and squealed. "That's awesome! We have to try it, Buzz."

"Well then we better get a move on, before Bo leaves campus for the summer," Buzz said, getting up, and Jessie followed him to the door.


	19. The History Lesson

**Chapter 19 – The History Lesson**

"I don't get why we have to go to the media department to find Buzz," Bo complained as Jessie pulled her along the corridor.

"They're recording the oral speeches the language students are giving," Jessie explained patiently, as she led Bo along, "They need it on file for future reference. It's a big thing, and Buzz is really nervous. The least we can do is give him some moral support when he comes out."

"I suppose," Bo sighed, as Jessie pulled her into a room. She stopped, blinking in the dim light, and looked around. With surprise, she spotted Buzz to the front and turned rapidly as Jessie shut the door behind her. "What's going on, guys? This isn't funny."

"Not meant to be," Buzz said coolly, walking to a laptop sitting on a desk in front. He fiddled with the buttons on it, and a slide popped up on the lit projector screen behind him.

The slide read simply, "Bo + Woody - A History."

Bo blinked, unimpressed. "Erm, what is this?" She turned to look at Jessie who gestured to her to sit down and keep watching. Buzz kept flicking through the slides every so often.

The second slide depicted the words "First year = Woody makes a fool of himself. Bo walks out."

The third slide read "Second year = Woody and Bo finally make up. Woody makes a fool of himself. Bo walks out."

The fourth one "Notice a pattern?"

The fifth. "Lightning rarely strikes twice, but history can repeat itself."

"Please Bo." Jessie said softly. "He's my brother. I know he can be an idiot. I've known him my whole life, he wants me to be happy; he deserves the same from me. Please make up with him. I don't want to see him walked out on anymore."

"You've got to remember it's not just him making an idiot of himself day in and day out around me," Bo pointed out, swivelling in her chair to regard Jessie. "It's about the way he treated me at the dance. I don't like being left in the lurch, Jess."

"And I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you, he was just so mad at me and Buzz for keeping secrets that he couldn't see straight. We've always been close Bo. Please. I've seen the way you two look at each other."

Bo sighed, re reading the last slide's words. "I guess you're right. He is a cute history major, after all," she conceded further with a smile, as Jessie hit the lights. Buzz flicked off the laptop, and behind Bo's back, Jessie gave him a thumbs up. He grinned at her.

Not a bad result for five minutes typing in Powerpoint...

* * *

In the history department, Woody was packing up his things after the last history exam of the year. He was so thankful that was over with. He was sure he'd done badly on the last one, given what had happened the day before with Bo. He cringed every time he thought about what he had accused her of. _That was it,_ he surmised as he walked out of the lecture room and down towards his locker. _She'd not want anything to do with him now. _

As he reached his locker, twirling the combination dial on the front, someone appeared next to him.

"Hey Woody," Buzz greeted his friend with a big smile.

"I just wanted you to know, Jessie's been called in for an impromptu display of her dance routine she'd been perfecting. She's in the rehearsal room right now."

"Dance routine?" Woody thought Jessie was done for the term. But an impromptu display, this he had to see. "Great, I'll be right there."

"Oh, I can't go, Woody...I have to go grab some language material for reading over the summer. But Jessie will be over the moon to have someone she knows there. I'll catch you later, it's room A051 in the new teaching block!" Buzz called as he hurried off, leaving Woody to finish dealing with the things in his locker before heading to the new dance building across campus.

* * *

At room A051, Woody stopped to peek through the window of the door, but noticed it was papered over from the outside for some reason. He frowned, opening the door cautiously, expecting it the dance room to have people in it, and Jessie to be in the middle of a performance, or at least warming up. But the room was empty, apart from someone sitting on the other side of the room. He was startled when someone pushed him fully into the room, and he turned just enough to see the flash of red hair behind him.

"Jessie!" He began to say, but the door was already shut behind him, a giggle rising from the other side. He attempted to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He didn't remember Jessie being that strong. He let go of the handle, and gazed up, remembering the paper over the glass outside. _Damn. _He couldn't even see out to reason with her through the window.

He turned back into the room, also remembering there had been someone else in the room with him, and he became more aware as he realised it was not just anyone. It was Bo sitting there, regarding him.

"You know, I have to give them both credit. The ruse was very believable."

"They tricked you too?" Woody stayed where he was, afraid to move any further into the room.

"Yeah." Bo started to get up. "I guess that's something else we have in common."

"We?" Woody questioned nervously, as she padded gently towards him.

"We. As in, you and me."

"Errr..." Woody stuttered, as she drew closer. "What else do we have in common?"

"Let's see," Bo counted the points off on her fingers, "We're both second years, we both know we'll be out of university in year's time, and...oh yes, we're mad about each other."

"We...we are?" He couldn't believe his ears. "So all that stuff after the dance...even after I walked out on you..."

"I seem to remember walking out on you twice, Woody. You always came back to me." Bo pointed out, and he realised she was right. "It would be wrong of me to lay into you for deserting me once..." she leaned closer, "But don't ever do it again."

"I won't," he murmured, as she tugged at his belt to bring him closer.

"I think you owe me something that's long overdue," she murmured in reply.

"An apology?" He asked, and she laughed softly.

"I meant a kiss, but an apology is good too."

And so it was that neither Bo nor Woody saw the movement of the paper retracting from the window ever so slightly; they were too busy with each other to notice anything else.

* * *

"So do you think it worked?" Jessie asked Buzz from outside the door, as he peeked through the rehearsal door window.

"I think you could say it did." Buzz murmured, and Jessie craned her head to peek through the window. Buzz stopped her, and she looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

"You want to watch your own brother kiss? That's just weird," Buzz commented, and she laughed.

"You have a point."

Buzz let the paper go and turned back to her. "So, mission accomplished, then?"

Jessie nodded, and he pulled her into his arms with a happy sigh. Everything was back in place.

"Miss Pride?"

They sprang apart to see Mr Applegate walking down the corridor towards them. "I was hoping to see you before the term was over. Unfortunately I couldn't attend the recital the other evening, and I wanted to speak to you personally before you received the correspondence."

"Correspondence? About what?" Jessie asked, her heart pounding in her chest. This sounded bad.

"About the dance department's decisions regarding your degree, Miss Pride," Mr Applegate went on, and Jessie groped for Buzz's hand as a method of support. "We've reviewed the productivity that you put into the work regarding the festival, rehearsal hours, eventual performance, as well as the general feeling of your group dance at the aforementioned recital."

Jessie held her breath as Mr Applegate went on. "That was some splendid dancing, Miss Pride. After the recital, and the rather pleasing, albeit unfortunate, result at the festival, the dance department has come to the agreement that you can return in the autumn a fully fledged second year dance student."

"Omigosh you really mean it?" Jessie squealed, jumping up and down in delight.

"I do, Miss Pride. You've earned it." Mr Applegate confirmed, as Jessie turned to Buzz and flung her arms around him.

"Congratulations," Buzz said, thrilled for Jessie to be moving up a year quicker than she'd expected. She pulled back from him, and they noticed Mr Applegate had left and was walking down the corridor away from them.

"I have to tell Woody!" Jessie exclaimed, then frowned. "Speaking of which...Woody and Bo have been in there an awful long time," she muttered, reaching for the handle, but Buzz turned , blocking her access.

"Good, it gives me time to do this without anyone watching," he murmured back, pressing her to the wall as she melted in his arms. They were just getting into a kiss when the door to the rehearsal bumped open. "Drat," Buzz muttered, pulling away from Jessie to see Woody peeking around the door at them.

"Well, hello you two," Woody drawled, and Bo softly giggled behind him. "I thought you would be long gone by now, the Greyhound back home is leaving in five hours and I know for a fact neither of you started packing yet."

"And I suppose you have?" Jessie shot back, but Woody chose to ignore this, changing the subject as well.

"Hey, have you guys heard Bo's news?"

"You have news?" Jessie asked, distracted too easily and glancing at the blonde.

Bo shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Woody cried, "It's huge, tell them," he urged her, and Bo found two other pairs of eyes staring at her, waiting.

"Well...I've been asked to partake in the gymnastics invitational gala next May," Bo started, squeezing Woody's hand. "It means a lot more training for that...and less dance." She glanced between Buzz and Jessie, her gaze settling on the latter. "And I was thinking...maybe, if you were still okay with competing, Jessie, that you might want to take my place permanently as Buzz's dance partner...it seems only fair to give you first refusal."

Jessie looked up at Buzz with a joyful smile. "I think I could manage to put up with him in your absence."

"It's settled then," Bo confirmed with a smile as wide as Jessie's. "Just if he gets demanding, let me know so I can set him straight for you."

"Demanding?" Buzz blinked and Jessie elbowed him.

"You know it." She scolded him, and Buzz looked thoroughly bedfuddled at being ganged up on.

"Hey, Buzz, this is what you get for having too many girls in your life," Woody chuckled.

"The same two you have in yours," Buzz pointed out, and Woody smirked.

"But they don't pick on me if they know what's good for them," he said, forgetting himself for a moment, and at this Jessie tackled him, causing Woody to react by running down the corridor away from her. Bo and Buzz looked at each other, wearing identical amused expressions as they watched the siblings play fight.

_The saying was true - t__here were short-cuts to happiness, and dancing was certainly one of them._

* * *

**-FIN-**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please read and review! : - )**


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